Everyday is a Fairy Tail
by atomicpuffin
Summary: So this is a series of one-shots ranging from silly and fluffy to steamy and exciting. Just a way for me to take a break from my longer projects and yet continue to write for all of my wonderful readers! I hope you enjoy and take a peek. Mainly Nalu with some other couples thrown in as needed. A few M-rated stuff that will have warnings posted around them so you have been warned!
1. Chapter 1

**Okay so this is an idea I've had floating through my head among many more. These are going to be a break for me during the longer projects, plus I love to write nonsensical fluff lol. Although there will be some heat in here as well as lovey-dovey goodness! I promise that this doesn't mean I'm going to stop writing for 'Magic in the Pages' but the length of those chapters does take a lot out of me and when I have so many ideas running through my head it tends to wear me down and more times than not I burn out and my work suffers. So to avoid that I'm going to take my time with the chapters, which means slower updates. However I never want to stop writing completely so to make up for it I decided these short stories were the way to go! Hope you enjoy and continue to stick around and be patient with my other work. Thanks for the continued support!**

 **Okay now to start this off I'm going to explain what you can expect in these things. There will be a wide range of one-shots, but they will all be romance and mostly NALU. There will be some song-fics as I can't make AMV's due to my current situation and internet connection. Plus I always wanted to write a few of those so bear with me lol. There will be lots of fluffy goodness because I believe everyone needs that warm and fuzzy to make the day better. And lastly there will be the steamy mature content that I want to try and write to see if I have any talent for it, cause I've written seduction before (which you will also see in here and M.P.) but not a full on love scene. So I figured this will be good practice for that as well.**

 **So just like with Magic in the Pages the age range will vary but if you know that you shouldn't read M-rated stuff then don't! I will always give fair warning in the Author's note so be sure to read each one to check for that and also for a brief detail of what the story will be about. I want to try and get one out a day but I may skip a few. During those skips will be me working on Magic in the Pages because inspiration has hit and my brain is over its vacation syndrome.**

 **Yeah, unfortunately my writer's brain wants to take vacations at the most inconvenient of times and it is so frustrating when I can't force it to do what I need. So I hope that you will all be patient with me and my slow updates and as a reward I will continue to not only push out these one-shots, but I will be sure that each chapter of Magic in the Pages is a long read for all of you to enjoy! Stay awesome my lovelies! I'm off to write the first one-shot for this new series!**


	2. Wedding Date

**Okay so here is the first one shot! This one is just some fluffy goodness! I hope you all enjoy and be sure to leave a review with any suggestions or requests you may have. So this one was inspired by watching the movie 'The Wedding Date' which I personally love and I would think it would be cute with these two. This is a slight AU high school style! So enjoy and be sure that I will be working on Magic in the Pages as my brain has willingly come out of hiding. Also I would really appreciate it if you guys check out my other writing posted up on Writers Café .org (minus the spacing) it's the same name I'm under on here.**

 **So on with the show! Fairy Tail is owned by our sovereign Hiro Mashima!**

* * *

Lucy continued to bang her head on the lunch table really starting to worry her friends. She groaned as she buried her face in her arms and thought about her predicament.

"Lu-chan, you're really starting to worry us. What's wrong?" Levy asked and Lucy looked up to meet the eyes of her best girlfriends. Levy, Erza, Mira and Juvia all stared down at her with confusion clearly in their eyes. She sighed and rubbed the red spot on her forehead.

"I have a wedding to go to this weekend." She mumbled and her friends all sighed in relief. Erza's eyes sparkled in glee at the mention of a wedding, being a sucker for romance. Lucy couldn't help but giggle at the look on her friend's face. If she could give away her invitation she would definitely give it to the red head.

"Juvia is confused. Aren't weddings fun and special events?" She asked tilting her head and resting it on her hand. Lucy sighed and buried her face in her hands once more as she groaned.

"Normally yes. But this isn't just any wedding…" She lifted her head and explained the best she could. Her friend's knew that her family was wealthy because of her dad's business, but they didn't know that her _entire_ family was well off.

"My cousin Michelle's father is getting remarried and I've been asked to be a bridesmaid."

"So you don't want to be in the wedding?" Mira asked, still not sure why Lucy would be so upset about such a thing. Lucy shook her head once more and frowned.

"No I don't mind that. And before you ask I love my new Aunt Lilah, she's such a sweetheart. Nothing like the brat she's inheriting…it's my cousin Michelle that I don't want to see. This girl always makes me miserable! The last time I went to see her she ranted on and on about how I would never get a boyfriend and how hers was so amazing. I swear she reminds me of my swim coach when I was younger." She grumbled and the girls laughed, which eventually lifted Lucy's mood and made her laugh along with them.

"Oh Lu-chan! Why are you worrying about that? So what if she makes some rude comment about having a boyfriend? Why would that bother you?" Levy laughed, but stopped when she noticed Lucy's blush. Lucy fidgeted in her seat and the girls took notice and Juvia's eyes lit up as she leaned in closer to whisper,

"Juvia thinks that Lucy-san isn't telling us everything about this mystery boyfriend!"

Lucy's blush increased, confirming the blue haired girl's theory. Erza's eyes flicked to the side, catching sight of the boys making their way into the lunch room. She smiled and waved at her boyfriend Jellal before turning her attention back to her friend.

Lucy was twirling a strand of her blonde hair, something she did when trying to hide her feelings. She looked off to the side and sighed,

"Yeah I guess. Her boyfriend is named Dan Straight…we…um…sort of dated before I came to Fairy Tail High…"

"What!" All the girls shouted and leaned closer to Lucy excited. She had never mentioned having dated anyone before so this was something that they were definitely interested in.

"Shh! Keep your voices down! It's no big deal…Dan and I are more than over it, but Michelle loves to rub it in my face. I just don't want to deal with her constant exclamations that she stole Dan from me. Which is ridiculous cause **_I'm_** the one who ended it." Lucy mumbled and Mira hummed in thought as she looked over to see the boys sauntering over to their table. When her eyes landed on one pink haired boy she grinned brightly.

"Why not bring a date then!?" She exclaimed and Lucy jumped.

"H-Huh!?"

"Yeah Lu-chan! It's perfect! If you bring a date then Michelle can't say anything!" Levy giggled as she noticed Natsu perk up, being close enough to hear the word 'date'.

Lucy shook her head and frowned while crossing her arms over her chest.

"The wedding is in two days and we leave tomorrow so that I can be there for rehearsals. How am I supposed to find a date in that time?"

"Why not bring one of the boys." Mira pointed and waved to the four boys standing behind the confused blonde. Lucy turned and blushed as she met the onyx eyes of her best friend. Natsu sat down next to Lucy and looked around at the girls as he frowned.

"One of us for what?" He asked and reached for a piece of Lucy's watermelon. He grinned when she tried to slap his hand away and stole the fruit anyways. Levy giggled and quickly caught on to what Mira was attempting. She leaned forward on her hands and smiled at the other males.

"Lucy has a wedding to go to this weekend and doesn't want to be lonely. She needs a date, but doesn't want to just ask anyone."

"Hey! I never said I needed-"

" **And** it would be better for her to go with someone she's comfortable around then some random guy." Levy continued, completely ignoring Lucy's protests. Lucy's face was bright red as she shook her head and shouted.

"I don't need a date!"

"Oh come on Lucy. I'm sure one of these fine gentlemen would be happy to escort you to the wedding." Mira giggled and looked at the boys expectantly. Gajeel made a tsk sound and looked away from his spot by Levy.

"Count me out. I don't do fancy parties and dress up."

"I bet he would if you were his date." Lucy leaned over the table and whispered to Levy, but still loud enough to make Gajeel's ears turn red.

"Shut it Bunny Girl."

"Stop calling me that! It was a stupid Halloween party!" Lucy shouted and the table laughed in response. She rolled her eyes and thumped her head on the table again.

"Woah! If it's that big a deal I wouldn't mind going with you."

Her head shot up as she looked at Gray who was sitting on her other side. She felt ice prick the back of her neck and glanced over at Juvia. The woman held murder in her eyes and Lucy shivered.

"For the safety of my own neck…thanks but no thanks Gray. Besides it would be hard to explain your stripping habit to my family."

"I don't always strip!" He shouted and she rolled her eyes and waved her hand at his bare chest. He cursed and looked around for the discarded item, missing how Natsu was grinning as he passed it to Juvia under the table. The woman began to glow as the garment met her hands and she grinned like a madwoman.

"What about Jellal?" Erza offered and the other's jumped, including the man next to her. He looked confused and she laughed and patted his arm.

"He's the most sophisticated of all the boys and he has my permission. He would fit in best among your family." She offered and he smiled while nodding.

"I would be happy to help out if you-"

"This is pointless as we all know who Lucy is taking with her." Natsu grumbled as he stole a slice of chicken off Lucy's tray.

"You have your own lunch! And what do you mean we already know who I'm taking? Who said I'm taking anyone!?" Lucy shouted at the boy, but his grin only widened as he leaned back in his chair and draped his arm over her shoulder.

"Don't be silly Luce. You and I always stick together. Besides, I'm not about to pass up an opportunity to try all that fancy food your family dishes out!" He laughed and Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Is food all you think about!?" She laughed and his grin widened as he leaned closer.

"Not always, but it take something special to distract me." He whispered and Lucy's face flamed in embarrassment as she pushed his face away.

"Don't say stupid things like that you idiot!"

He only laughed along with everyone else and Mira clapped her hands together.

"Well I guess it's decided then. Natsu will act as Lucy's date and make sure she has the best time this weekend." The others nodded and Lucy frowned.

"Hey wait! I never agreed to this!"

"Furthermore Natsu…" Erza interrupted, ignoring Lucy who just gave up and threw her hands into the air.

"If Lucy returns with anything but a smile on her face, you will have to deal with me when you return. Do you understand?" She narrowed her eyes and a dangerous aura surrounded her. Natsu swallowed and put his hand up in a salute,

"A-Aye sir!"

Lucy giggled behind her hand and sighed as she watched Natsu change the subject by trying to pick a fight with Gajeel.

 _'_ _Maybe it won't be so bad if he's by my side."_

* * *

"Natsu…are you doing okay?" Lucy whispered as she ran her fingers through his pink spike. Natsu's head was laying in Lucy's lap as they rode in her family limo towards the hotel that the Heartfillia's had rented for the weekend for the family it would house.

"Kill…me…" He groaned and she giggled and massaged his scalp to help him through the sickness. She couldn't tell him how much she appreciated him putting up with the long drive in order to be by her side. She was even more thankful now to have him with her. Jude Heartfillia, her father was being held up on his business trip. He wouldn't be able to get back until the day of the wedding. Meaning that without Natsu, Lucy would have been left alone with her over bearing family. She decided that she should thank him again.

"Thanks for coming with me Natsu. I would have hated to be alone." She whispered and felt him chuckle despite his illness. He reached up and laid his hand over hers, causing her to look down and meet his eye.

"Anytime Luce. You know I'd do anything for my best bud." He grinned cheekily. She laughed and looked up as the car coasted to a stop in front of the grand hotel they would be staying at. The minute the vehicle stopped moving, color returned to Natsu's face and he lifted himself up from Lucy's lap. Although he would have preferred to stay there as she was his favorite pillow.

The door opened and Natsu slid out first, bumping fists with Loke the driver and his poker buddy. Natsu then turned and held his hand out to help Lucy, surprising her at the gentlemanly gesture. She smiled and accepted his offered hand and stepped out of the car to stand at his side. He grinned and then stretched, showing how happy he was to be out of the torture of the car. Lucy giggled and turned to Loke.

"Are you sure you can handle the luggage yourself?"

"Of course princess. Of course if you wanted to reward me in some way." He grinned and leaned closer. A hand shot out and shoved his face away and was replaced with Natsu's smiling one.

"Hey Luce you said they have an inside pool right!?" He shouted like an excited child and Lucy laughed and nodded. She turned to lead the way and missed Natsu shooting Loke a dark glare and the other man shrugging his shoulders and smiling as he went to get the luggage.

Luce noticed a small group standing in front of the hotel waiting for them and she smiled and waved at her Uncle Jackson and soon-to-be Aunt Lilah. She even managed to keep her smile when she noticed Michelle standing next to them, her arm wrapped around Dan's. As her and Natsu got closer she was suddenly pulled into a giant hug by her uncle as he let out a booming laugh.

"Here's our Lucky Lucy! My you get more beautiful each time we see you! The next wedding we go to will surely be yours!" He winked one of his blue eyes at her blushing face. She laughed, knowing that her favorite uncle was always this loud and strange. He was the black sheep of the family and she loved him all the more for it.

"Don't be silly Uncle Jack! I'm only seventeen and still in high school." She giggled, but the laughter was cut off as she heard the snarky whisper of her cousin.

"She'd have to keep a boyfriend first."

"Michelle, manners." Lilah scolded, having heard the girl's words. Michelle gave a falsely sweet smile and moved forward to give Lucy a quick hug.

"Cousin! It's so good to see you again!" Her voice dripped with sarcasm and Lucy resisted the desire to roll her eyes. Michelle released her and grabbed Dan's arm, pulling him to her side again.

"And of course you remember Dan!" She said giving Lucy a knowing smirk and Lucy felt her cheeks heating as Dan grinned down at her.

"It's good to see you again Lucy. I had almost forgotten how beautiful you are." He flirted and Lucy's cheeks flared further and Michelle looked hurt at Dan's words. But before either could say anything, an arm draped itself over Lucy's shoulder and she felt a familiar, warm presence.

"Are you gonna introduce me Luce?" Natsu purred and she jumped, having almost forgotten that he was here. She laughed it off and nodded as she held her hand towards her uncle.

"Natsu, this is my favorite uncle, Uncle Jack and his fiancée Lilah. This is their daughter and my cousin, Michelle and her boyfriend Dan. Everyone this is Natsu, he's-"

"I'm Lucy's boyfriend. It's a pleasure to meet all of you at last." Natsu grinned and held out his hand to her uncle who beamed at the lad.

"Ah so someone finally managed to capture our Lucy's heart! The rest of the family will be excited to meet you Natsu! Come on let's get you settled in!" Her Uncle Jack boomed as he wrapped his arm around Lilah's waist and led her through the double doors of the hotel.

Lucy's stood frozen as her mind tried to catch up with what just happened. Only a small pressure on her lower back snapped her back to reality as she realized it was Natsu's hand pressing there. She looked up at him and frowned as he only winked and flashed his signature grin, showing off those sharp canines of his.

She finally caught back up with reality and started to clear up what he had said when Michelle's voice sliced through her thoughts.

"So, Natsu was it…how long have you and Lucy been dating?" She asked innocently as they walked inside the hotel. Lucy was about to deny the fact when Natsu's answered first. His arm sliding to wrap around her waist and she couldn't deny the thrill that ran at the contact.

"Almost a year now. But we've been friends for the last three."

Lucy turned her questioning gaze to him, wondering why he was putting on this show. She hadn't told him anything about her cousin, unless one of the girls had mentioned it to him. Actually that made more sense knowing how meddlesome her friends could be, especially Mira-san.

"I hope you know what a catch you have Natsu. Lucy is a special lady." Dan said as his eyes fell to Lucy again. She turned her gaze away and felt Natsu's hand at her waist tighten and pull her closer as he chuckled.

"She can be quite the handful, but I wouldn't replace _my_ Luce for anything."

She looked up at the sincerity in his voice and met his eyes that were darkening as they stared down at her, making her blush further. Michelle made a noise similar to a snort and Dan frowned, but thankfully Natsu didn't give them a chance to continue questioning.

"Sorry, but Lucy promised to take a swim with me when we got here." He directed her in the direction of the front desk so they could pick up their room keys. Once they were out of ear-shot Lucy turned her flaming eyes on the boy still holding her.

" ** _What_** …was that!?" She hissed and Natsu shrugged, not removing his hand. He lowered his voice to respond.

"I didn't like the way that Dan guy was looking at you…"

"So? He's with Michelle! He wouldn't try-"

"Whether he is with your cousin or not doesn't matter. He has feelings for you and I intend to warn him off." Natsu growled and his words caused her cheeks to flush pink. She looked up and studied his profile, admitting that he was extremely handsome…maybe that's the real reason she hadn't denied his claim right away. Because she didn't mind the idea of him being her boyfriend. No. This was still Natsu. He was only looking out for her as he always did, but she still couldn't resist messing with him. She grinned and poked him in the side to gain his attention.

"Natsu Dragneel. Are you jealous?" She teased and was very pleased when his cheeks turned red and he gritted his teeth, swiping the room keys off the desk and turning from her.

"Of course not! But you're my best friend and it's my job to keep creeps like him away from you. Now stop being weird and let's go change."

"Change? Why?" She asked and he turned back, the grin back on his face as he grabbed her wrist.

"I was serious about that pool Luce! Let's go have some fun!" He laughed and dragged her through the lobby, causing laughter to bubble up from her as well. She waved to several family and friends as they passed. Noticing how each watched the young 'couple' with wide smiles. Well, all except Dan and Michelle who wore varying expressions as they followed the two with their eyes.

* * *

"Come on Luce! By the time you finished the pool will be closed!" Natsu whined sitting on her bed and she laughed from inside the bathroom.

"Natsu, my family rented out the entire hotel. That means that everything here is open twenty four seven while we stay."

"Does that include room service!?" He called excitedly and she rolled her eyes. Always thinking with his stomach, but she supposed that just added to his charm. She finished tying the string around her neck and then stepped back to examine herself in the mirror and nodded in approval. This new swim suit she had bought was killer! It was a two piece, fire red with orange tropical flowers on the top piece. She blushed as she readjusted herself a bit, cursing her larger breasts before allowing them to hang once more.

If she was with anyone other than Natsu she would worry about how she was dressed, but the man wouldn't even notice so she grabbed her long shirt to wear on her way down to the pool and left the bathroom. As she stepped into the room she looked over to Natsu and smiled as she caught sight of his trunks. They were black with flames running along the legs.

"Finally! Come on!" He said and grabbed her wrist again, dragging her out the door before she could say anything. She rolled her eyes as they stepped into the elevator and Natsu groaned, thankful that it would only be three floors. She giggled and Natsu looked down at her and smiled through his sickness. He surprised her by moving his hand and lacing his fingers with hers. She jumped and looked up at him as the doors opened and he pulled her out by their connected hand. Natsu looked out over the sparkling water and grinned at her.

"Ready for some relaxation Lucy?"

She giggled and nodded, pulling her hand from his, feeling a tingling sensation as his rough skin grazed along her palm. She went to a lounger, removing her over shirt and spread it out along with her towel. She turned to ask Natsu something and the words died in her throat. He had removed his own shirt, revealing the amazingly toned body that she knew he possessed. Since he was over at her house a lot, or she at his; Lucy knew her best friend had the muscles of an athlete. But for some reason, at this moment, she developed a better appreciation for his body.

He glanced over and noticed her blushing as she stared at him. He grinned and walked over to her, his hands laced behind his head. She looked up and noticed that his eyes were once more darkening as they gazed at hers. She swallowed, wondering where the tension between them had suddenly come from. She wasn't sure when, but during their recent times of being alone together, they had started staring at each other more. And not the way friends would, but in a yearning manner. She blushed further as she wondered what he was thinking. As if reading her mind,

"Like what you see Luce?" He teased as he stopped in front of her. She glared up at him and crossed her arms over her chest, unknowingly pushing them closer for her friend to enjoy. His grin widened and she huffed in annoyance.

"No, don't be ridiculous! Besides it's not like this is the first time I've seen you without a shirt." She pointed out and he chuckled again, the sound made her shiver with how husky it sounded. She looked up at him and recognized the heat in his gaze. Where was the Natsu she knew?

"Ready?" He whispered. She frowned and started to turn back to face him.

"Ready for wh-Kyaaa!" He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and ran for the pool's edge.

"Natsu no!" She shouted, but too late as he was already in the air. They hit the water and she let out a stream of bubbles at the chill the water left. She broke the surface, coughing and sputtering. She turned at the sound of laughter and locked gazes with Natsu as he had appeared behind her. She shouted and dove at him, pushing him back under the water's surface.

This time when they both came back up, they were laughing. Natsu swam closer to her and grinned.

"There's my Luce! All smiles and that wonderful laugh I enjoy so much." He grinned and she flushed again, but the smile remained on her face as she splashed water in his face.

"Don't say stuff like that weirdo!" She laughed and began to float gently, determined to enjoy the calm water as they had the pool to themselves for the moment. She gasped as something caught her ankle and dragged her under again. She looked into the smiling face of the pink haired boy and rolled her eyes before going back up.

She waited for him to come up and was surprised when he did, but only an inch away from her. She shivered again, but not from the cold water. No, this was caused when Natsu's toned body brushed against hers as he slowly let himself reemerge before her. He ran a hand through his wet hair, laying it back on his head and making it look _damn_ _sexy_!

 _'_ _No! Bad Lucy! No thoughts like that!'_ She scolded herself and stepped back a few inches, happy that they had moved to the shallower part of the pool so she could stand. Of course with her height the water still came up to her chest. She giggled as she realized that despite things, she was having fun and that was all because of the idiot in front of her.

"Thanks Natsu." She whispered and he blinked, then grinned and wrapped his arms around her waist, trapping her against him. She felt her heart skip as he continued to grin at her, then when he moved closer she felt her eyes closing on instinct.

"Anything for you Luce." He whispered and she sighed as she felt his warm breath caress her cheek. His hand slid up her bare back and left a heated trail. She opened her eyes and met his heated gaze.

"N-Natsu…"

This was it! He was leaning closer now, closing the distance between them. She felt her heart rate triple as she realized that she had been craving this. She _wanted_ him to finally kiss her, to admit that he felt more towards her than friendship! He whispered against her lips,

"Luce I-"

"Lucy~!"

The two of them jumped and turned to the intruder. Natsu kept his arms around her and didn't try to hide his irritation at being interrupted. They looked up to see Michelle standing in a bright blue bikini with Dan at her back. Michelle was smirking at the pair with her hand folded in front of her.

"Hey Lucy, I don't think Uncle Jude would be too pleased to hear about this. It's unladylike to behave like this in public." She teased and Lucy's cheeks heated up in embarrassment as she noticed that several other family members had come into the pool area. She had been so absorbed with Natsu that she hadn't noticed, and at the moment they were all watching her. She flushed brighter and tried to pull out of Natsu's grip, but his hold only tightened.

She looked up to see him glaring at Dan. Frowning she followed his line of sight and noticed that Dan was openly ogling her chest through the water. He suddenly laughed, a loud, booming laugh that caused all heads to turn towards them. He turned back to Lucy and grinned. She recognized the mischievous spark and shook her head in warning. He shot one last glance at Dan and she knew what he was thinking.

"Natsu don-mmph!" She was cut off as he slammed her into his chest in a tight hold and claimed her lips. Her eyes slid closed as a wonderful sensation washed over her, robbing her of all thoughts. She was overrun with emotion as Natsu's hold tightened and one hand at her back slid up to tangle in her blonde hair. She let out a soft moan that only Natsu could hear, but it was enough to drive the poor boy crazy. He deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue past her lips to taste more of her.

A faint buzzing in her ear began to bring her out of the fog as Natsu pulled away for breath she recognized it for what it was. Cheering. She blushed and looked around to see all of her family laughing and calling out to them in encouragement. She swung her head around to see Natsu chuckling and rubbing the back of his head.

"Whoops. Guess I went overboard again."

"Natsu you-" She shouted and tackled him under the water, which made everyone laugh harder.

"Get back here you idiot and let me drown you!" Lucy shouted as she tried to catch the slippery pinkette.

Natsu laughed as he swam out of reach of the angry blonde. The tension had been eased and he was happy to see the calm spark back in her eyes, even if it was also fueled by her anger. She knew that he was also pleased that his kiss had chased off Michelle and Dan, who had walked away in a huff. Seriously, what was that girl's problem? Why couldn't she just be happy with her own life?

Her attention was brought back to her laughing partner as he stopped and she slammed into his chest again. He wrapped his arms around her, pinning her own against her sides. He smiled brightly at her and rubbed his nose against hers, making her scrunch it in irritation. She glared at him and hissed,

"Natsu! Why did you have to embarrass me like that you moron!"

"Ah come on Luce! You know you love me!" He laughed and grinned down at her. She huffed and turned her gaze away, her cheeks puffed out in agitation. He chuckled low again and his hold on her arms loosened. His hand reached up and cupped her chin, making her look at him. His eyes had softened and some of her anger vanished at the look in his eyes.

"You know you love me Luce. Admit it." He whispered. She snorted, which made him laugh again. He grinned and with one finger lifted her chin, tilting her head back. That heated look from before they were interrupted returned and her cheeks turned pink again.

"Because I love you…" He whispered and her eyes widened. Had…Did Natsu just…

"W-What?" She rasped and he leaned closer to her again.

"I love you Luce. You are mine and I intend for everyone here to know that before we go home. By the end of this weekend, you will belong to me and me alone." He hissed and gave her another long and tender kiss, but that didn't take away from the heat and promise behind it for more. She melted in his hold and returned his kiss with vigor. Oh yeah…this weekend was _definitely_ going to be better because of this idiot.

 _'_ _I love you too Natsu. And as soon as I can breathe again…I tell you.'_

* * *

 **Well that's the first chapter everyone! Sorry for the later update, but the heat here is messing with my internet connection so I had some problems uploading it. So let me know what you thought! I'm going to start writing the next one and hopefully it will be done tonight! Be sure to send in those requests if you have any! And finally I will be writing a part two for this one shot, but I need your help! Vote for what you want-Sweet and Fluffy or Hot and Steamy? Let me know and what you thought of this one! Until next time, stay awesome my lovelies!**


	3. I'm Natsu Dragneel& I always win!

**Okay next one shot and then I'll be going back to write the next chapter for Magic! And as you all know those chapters take me a few days to write so you won't hear from me until it's done so I wanted to give you one more fun nonsense in case I'm MIA for a while. Although if I get stuck I'll switch back to this so if you see another one shot pop up first you know I'm struggling lol. So please enjoy and let me know if there's something special you want me to tackle!**

 **This one is a song-fic that I've had in my head for a while now. You'll all know the song upon the first sentence so I don't want to give anything away! Enjoy! Oh and singing with be in italics. P.s. when I can I also plan to make an amv of this song with the pair. I'll let you know when.**

 ***All characters are owned by the genius that is Hiro Mahima!***

* * *

Lucy bounced over to their table wearing her usual bright smile. Natsu grinned as he watched his partner, drinking in her happiness and fueling his own.

"Hey Luce! What's up?" He asked as she came to stand next to the table and held up a torn flyer, her smile doubling. He looked up and could have sworn that in that moment Lucy was glowing. He felt his heart skip a beat as he focused back on what she was saying.

"This is the answer to all my rent problems! I found it on some post and couldn't wait to sign up!" She shouted and clasped the flyer to her chest in glee. Natsu frowned and tilted his head.

"What is it?"

"Natsu, pay attention!" She said and lightly swatted the back of his head. He chuckled and rubbed the spot, even if she hadn't actually hurt him.

"Sorry Luce. I got…uh-distracted." He said and this time she rolled her eyes and laughed as she sat across from him.

"What were you thinking about this time? Something yummy to eat?" She teased, not knowing how her seemingly innocent words affected him. He turned his head to the side to hide his slightly blushing cheeks and muttered,

"Yeah…something like that…So what's on the flyer there?" He asked to direct her back to the matter at hand. She blinked and then her smile returned as she slid the flyer across the table.

"It's a singing contest this weekend and the prize is 250,000 jewel! That will cover my rent for the next three months and leave me with some spending money!"

"Yeah and then you can buy me lots of yummy fish!" Happy said as he joined the conversation.

"Can it cat. You two are the reason I'm broke all the time as it is. Why would I spend my prize money on you?" She grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest. Natsu laughed,

"Because you love us crashing with you all the time!"

"As if! Some days I wonder why you bother having your own house." She groaned and the two males only laughed harder. She found herself smiling after a few minutes and giggled.

"Anyways. I really want to win this one since I lost out on the Miss Fairy Tail Pageant. And I have a pretty decent singing voice if I do say so. The only problem is I need a partner. It's a duet contest, so I asked-"

"Ah, you know you don't need to ask Luce! It's you and me always! I'm all fired up now!" Natsu shouted and slammed his palms on the table, making Lucy jump with wide eyes.

"What? Wait Natsu!" She shouted and grabbed his shoulder as he started moving towards Gray. He looked back at her with a raised brow and a confused look. Then he grinned and grabbed her hand in his.

"Oh right! Come on Luce we should go practice! Do you what song you-"

"Natsu…I already have a partner…I asked Loke."

"Loke!? But Lucy~ you're _my_ partner!" He whined, not liking the flame that licked at his insides at the mention of the celestial spirit. He had nothing personal against Loke as the man was still technically a member of the guild. But the way the lion spirit flirted with Lucy irritated him for some reason.

"Natsu. This isn't an actual mission or anything. It's a singing competition and I _really_ need to win! I know Loke has a nice voice as I've heard it. This doesn't mean you and I won't remain partners." She reasoned, but he only crossed his arms and pouted like a petulant child. Lucy sighed and placed held out her hand to strike a deal.

"How about to make it up to you I let you pick the next mission. And I promise that no matter what it is I won't make one single complaint!" She smiled and he looked up, still pouting.

"Anything I want?" He whispered and she laughed, nodding and held her hand higher.

"Deal?"

"Fine…deal…" He muttered and shook her hand. Not completely happy with the whole arrangement. But then again he was Natsu Dragneel, nothing could keep him down for long. He grinned suddenly as a plan started to form in his mind. He would get what he wanted and in doing so, he may surprise his blonde partner more than she's ever been in her entire life.

* * *

Lucy took a deep breath as she waited backstage. She smoothed her hands over her dress once more. The red material clung to her delicately as it fell to her feet. She readjusted the off the shoulder straps, making sure it showed off just the right amount of cleavage. No point in wasting an advantage when you had one right? The dress even had a slit running up her right leg.

She reached up and patted her hair, making sure no stray strands had escaped from the style Cancer had put it in. She took in another shaky breath and rested her hands over her stomach to try and calm her nerves.

"Would you stop fidgeting? You look great and I know you'll knock 'em dead Luce."

She turned at the encouraging words and caught her breath. Natsu looked great! He was standing behind her with his arms clasped behind his back. He was dressed in black dress pants and a dark, red dress shirt with a black vest buttoned on top. His normally spikey hair was smoothed back, giving him a sexy, sophisticated look that she was not used to seeing with the fire mage. She blushed slightly and managed to smile at her partner.

"Thanks Natsu. Why are you dressed up so nice?"

"Thought I'd come to support my girl and that it would be better if I looked the part." He grinned, making her blush deepen at his term 'my girl'. Before she could ask what he meant by look the part, he brought his hand from behind his back and revealed a blood red rose. He grinned as he stepped up to her and snapped the step, shortening the flower. He reached up and tucked the rose into her hair above her ear.

He locked his smoldering eyes with hers and it made her heart speed up. He grinned and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"You'll do great Luce. Just relax and let instinct take over. Show them that fiery spirit I know you possess." Then he turned and left her standing there alone and confused. But at the same time his words filled her with a new sense of confidence. She heard the couple ahead of her and Loke finish and the applause that followed. She took a deep breath and pulled out the gold key of her friend.

"Open, Gate of the Golden Lion! Leo!" She called and in a burst of gold lights, Loke stepped out. Dressed to impress as always, he adjusted his shades and grinned down at her.

"Ready my princess?" He purred and Lucy smiled, taking another deep breath and nodded. She turned to take her spot behind the curtain and waited. She turned to give Loke one final good luck and her smile vanished, along with her spirit.

"Loke?" She whispered, conscious of the microphone attached to her cheek and how it would be turned on at any moment. She turned, stunned speechless as the curtains opened and revealed her on stage alone. Her pupils shrunk as she gazed out at the audience and had no explanation for why she was up on stage alone. She made a note to beat the crap out of her spirit later. Whispers began to float through the air and she clenched her fists. Might as well get this humiliation over with.

Before she could sing the first notes another voice filled the stage from an unseen location.

 _You have come here._

 _In pursuit of your deepest urge._

 _In pursuit of that wish which till now has been silent._

 _Silent._

Lucy recognized this song, it was from one of her favorite musicals. But it wasn't the one she had rehearsed with Loke. In fact that didn't sound like Loke at all! The singing continued and this time she could pinpoint it's owner's location. She looked over to the side and gasped, along with the audience as a cloaked figure stood on a set of stairs. He grinned and she swore she recognized those onyx eyes under the black mask he wore. He moved down the steps slowly, making his way towards her. Lucy felt her insides warm as his dark and seductive voice washed over her.

 _I have brought you._

 _That our passions may fuse and merge._

 _In your mind you've already succumbed to me, dropped all defenses_

 _Completely succumbed to me._

 _Now you are here with me._

 _No second thought._

 _You've decided._

 _Decided._

By now he had gotten closer to Lucy and every member of the audience was also hypnotized by this man's smooth voice. Lucy blushed as his eyes bore into hers and he stalked around her on stage like a dangerous animal with its prey. But for some reason she didn't feel scared, but safe and exhilarated. Natsu's words from earlier rang through her head.

 _'_ _Let instinct take over…'_ Her eyelids lowered and she let his voice wash over her. Carrying her away with the beautiful music. He came closer as he continued to sing, his eyes darkening further.

 _Past the point of no return._

 _No backwards glances._

 _Our games of make-believe are at an end._

Lucy's eyes fluttered closed as his voiced seemed to caress her skin and she noticed several women watching him emphatically. He came closer, still not touching her as he circled, but his cape brushed against her arms as he moved. Sending shivers along her spine, his eyes never leaving hers.

 _Past all thought of 'if' or 'when'_

 _No use resisting_

 _Abandon thought and let the dream descend._

He moved suddenly and several audience members gasped as he moved behind her. Wrapping one arm around her waist as his other hand clasped her neck, pulling back against him. His lips were mere inches from her skin and his hot breath seeped straight to her blood, heating it instantly.

 _What raging FIRE shall flood the soul?_

 _(he moved his lips up to brush against her ear as he continued to sing)_

 _What deep desire shall unlocks its door_

 _What sweet seduction lies before us?_

He slid the hand at her neck down to her shoulder and spun her to face him. Her hand came up on instinct and he caught it with a grin. He pressed her closer to him. Then let his other hand slide up her back in a possessive move, running it up over her shoulder and down her other arm. He did all this slowly, in time with the words he sang.

 _Past the point of no return_

 _The final threshold_

 _What warm unspoken secrets will we learn_

 _(He raised her hand up to his mouth and nipped at her wrist)_

 _Beyond the point of no return~?_

He released her and stepped back with his hands held out for her. As if daring her to follow him on the journey he had set. She smirked as she now knew who her mystery partner was. It was no mystery at all. He would always be her partner in anything she went up against. Oh how she loved the smell of firewood in this moment.

* * *

He held himself still waiting and praying that she would follow his lead. To follow him on this journey of souls. The words he sang to her were not just lyrics. They were an accurate summarization of his feelings for this amazing blonde. He waited until her beautiful and clear voice rang out. He grinned as he watched her look down timidly, taking on the role cast for her.

 _You have brought me_

 _To that moment when words run dry_

 _To that moment when speech disappears into silence._

 _Silence._

 _(She lifted her head and clasped her hands over her chest.)_

 _I have come here_

 _Hardly knowing the reason why_

Her eyes moved back to Natsu and he felt the heat in her gave sweep through him.

 _In my mind I've already imagined our bodies entwining_

 _Defenseless and silent_

 _Now I am here with you_

 _No second thoughts_

 _I've decided_

 _Decided._

 _(She smirked at him and nodded as she started to walk closer. He mimicked her, their steps synchronized.)_

 _Past the point of no return_

 _No going back now_

 _Our passion-play has now at last begun._

 _Past the point of right or wrong_

 _One final question_

 _How long should we two wait until we're one?_

 _When will the blood begin to race_

 _The sleeping bud burst into bloom_

 _When will the flames at last CONSUME us?_

Natsu reached up and ripped his cape off, revealing the same outfit from before. The audience was completely enthralled with the pair. The women were drooling over Natsu and the men were enraptured with Lucy. Natsu reached out and clasped her hand, twirling her until she came to rest with her back against his chest. His hands laced with hers against her stomach as he held her. He moved them together in a slow dance of seduction as their voices rang out over the crowd. The two of them being caught up in their own worlds as they mixed their voices in perfect harmony.

 _Past the point of no return_

 _The final threshold_

 _The bridge is crossed_

 _So stand and watch it burn_

 _We've passed the point of no return~_

Lucy's eyes closed as she took in a deep breath, waiting for the applause. But she was surprised along with the audience when Natsu began to sing again. Only this time his voice was much softer and full of longing. She turned slowly to meet his eyes as he smiled softly as he sang from his heart to her.

 _Say you'll share with me_

 _One love, one lifetime_

 _Lead me, save me from my solitude._

 _(He reached up and cupped her cheeks.)_

 _Say you want me_

 _With you here_

 _Beside you_

 _Anywhere you go, let me go too…_

 _Love me…_

 _(He tilted her head back and brought his lips within an inch of hers.)_

 ** _Lucy_** _…_ _That's all I ask…of…you~_

The crowd burst into thunderous applause as his lips pressed against hers. He held her head captive as he continued to kiss her through the cheering. She reached up and laced her fingers through his pink hair that was more visible without the cape he had been wearing. As their kiss continued on stage the applause and cheering increased. They held each other until the curtains fell, cutting them off from view. Then Natsu pulled back and rested his forehead against hers.

"Took you long enough you idiot." She whispered and he chuckled as he pulled back and grinned at her. She smiled and laughed as she threw her arms around his neck. He caught her easily and spun her gently before setting her feet back on the ground. She giggled and reached up to pull his mask off, revealing the rest of his handsome face. She sighed and held it up with a raised brow.

"Seriously though. You couldn't just tell me you loved me in private like a normal person."

He laughed loudly and pulled her in for another kiss. When they pulled apart she sighed in bliss and Natsu was grinning like an idiot, but a happy idiot.

"I'm not the kind of guy to go small when it comes to impressing his future mate."

"Who said that I would be your mate?" She huffed and he chuckled before burying his nose in her neck. She shivered and couldn't hold the stern look she had been wearing.

"Say it Lucy…" He whispered against her skin, his hand running up her back. She bit her bottom lip against the sensation. He kissed her neck and up to her ear, whispering again,

"Say it…"

She continued to resist and he tangled his fingers in her blonde hair, pulling it out of its perfect hold. He tilted her head back to force her eyes to lock with his. He was frowning at her hesitation and searching her eyes for the answer he needed. Once he seemed to find it, his stance relaxed and the soft smile returned to his face. His fingers released her hair and he brought them up to her chin, clasping it gently and rubbing his thumb over her bottom lip. Effectively pulling it from between her teeth. His eyes blazed and he flashed her his signature grin.

"Say it Luce…I need to hear what it sounds like coming from your lips." He pleaded and it was these soft-spoken words that finally cracked her resolve. She began to laugh, confusing the man before her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close.

"Natsu you idiot! Of course I love you! I've been waiting for you to wake up and realize it!" She laughed and Natsu shouted in joy, twirling her in his arms again. He pulled her against him and crushed her lips under his. They were so lost in each other's embrace that it took a few minutes for the whistles and cheers to pierce through them. They pulled away from each other's lips and looked out over the audience. The crowd was laughing and cheering wildly. Among them they could just make out their guild mates going crazy when they noticed Natsu's arms still around Lucy. The voice of the announcer rang through the crowd.

"Well it seems this young couple was celebrating early. Congratulations to the couple Lucy and Lo-"

" ** _Natsu_**!" Lucy and Natsu shouted as one and it made them laugh.

"Uh-right-Natsu…for winning this year's singing competition. Congratulations you too for winning the following prize!"

Lucy's eyes lit up and she giggled,

"Yes! Come here my precious rent-"

"250,000 jewels worth of the finest seafood Hargeon has to offer!"

" ** _WHAT_**!" Lucy cried out in horror, hearing a faint 'yes' from a certain blue cat.

"No…it can't be…the flyer said…I must have ripped the bottom half in my haste. Oh~" She groaned and rested her head against Natsu's chest. He chuckled and reached up to lift her chin and gaze back to him.

"It's okay Luce. I have a solution to this problem." He whispered and she brought her sparkling eyes up in excitement.

"Really?" She asked and he grinned wider bringing her lips to his again.

"You could always move in with me." He whispered and kissed her before she could answer. The idiot, of course, forgot his mic was on and the whole audience heard his question. The result was the crowd doubling in their enthusiasm and the guild shouting like madmen (and women) at the couple they were all happy to **_finally_** see together.

"Bout time moron!" Being the loudest shout heard from the back, belonging to Gray. Natsu started to raise his hand in a rude gesture, but Lucy caught it and laced her fingers with his. She pulled away from the kiss and reached up with her other hand. She ruffled his hair, causing the locks to jump back up in their usual spiked fashion. She placed her hand against his cheek and knowing that they would all hear her answer responded.

"Only if you promise to sing me to sleep each night." She said with a wink and the crowd laughed, enjoying the 'extra' performance. Natsu growled low and pulled her into his chest, his eyes flashing yellow for a brief moment, making him look more feral than usual.

"I'll do more than that once your mine." He growled and kissed her deeply again. His sharp hearing catching a 'eww' from his rival and he grinned as he pulled the blonde closer to him. She hadn't technically agreed to move in with him yet. But she would in the end. After all, he was Natsu Dragneel...

* * *

 **Well what did you think? I hope you liked it. Be sure to leave a review telling me how it went cause this isn't my first time writing a song into my stories, but they usually have a different vibe to them so I'm curious is all. I will get started on that new chapter as soon as I'm done melting. Seriously this is why winter is my favorite season! Until next time, stay awesome my lovelies!**


	4. One More Present

**Hello everyone! So for those that are new to reading my work here's a little trivia on me. I love Christmas and it is my favorite holiday. In fact winter is my favorite season. Which is why, along with Magic I'll be writing some short and fluffy one-shots. Just some quick cuteness that will allow my brain a break between writing sessions for Magic. Hopefully I can get the next chapter for that out soon, but as it'll also be long I can't guarantee anything. So without further ado, let's begin my first holiday one-shot.**

 ***All characters are owned by Hiro Mashima***

* * *

Lucy finished tying the bow on her final gift and sighed in relief. Winter had grown to be her favorite time of the year since joining Fairy Tail. They always celebrated this time with a large party, which wasn't much different from their other celebrations. The only key difference is that they exchange gifts. She smiled as she stared down at her small pile for her friends. It had taken her awhile to save enough extra money but she had finally collected what she needed to get everyone something special.

"Hey Luce, ready to go?"

She jumped and turned towards her window as Natsu and Happy came through. She crossed her arms and glared at her teammates.

"Natsu, how many times have I told you to stop coming through my window? Use the door like a normal person." She chided, but Natsu wasn't listening. He simply shrugged and gave her his signature grin. Natsu walked over and pulled her into his arms, giving her a quick peck on the lips.

"You know you don't mind me sneaking into your bed to keep you warm." He whispered and her cheeks flushed as she laughed as pushed him away playfully. The two of them had been officially dating for the last three years and yet he still found ways to catch her off guard and make her heart race. She turned and put the packages in their bags, handing them to Natsu so they could go. Happy landed on her shoulder and grinned,

"Maybe you should let her carry them Natsu. She could use the exercise." He laughed and Lucy grabbed him, pulling on his ear and chiding him for being rude. He chuckled and rubbed against her chest, purring to soften her towards him once more. She rolled her eyes and carried the cat out of her apartment with Natsu following behind, a wide smile on his face.

* * *

The guild was even louder than usual, but it was also filled with laughter. Lucy smiled as she sat at their booth with her team mates, plus Gajeel and Levy. She watched as Erza opened her present, an envelope holding a special surprise.

"What is this Lucy? Hmm~ a coupon?" The red-head raised a brow and Lucy winked and twirled her finger, indicating that the woman flip the card over. Erza did so and her eyes doubled in size and sparkled brighter than the stars.

"Free cake! F-For a month?" She shouted and launched herself across the table to envelope the blonde in a tight hug.

"Mhm-I-hmtakmm-you-limmh-it?" Lucy mumbled, her face pressed against the warrior's large chest. Erza laughed and released her friend, who took in a large gasp of air. The group laughed and resumed their celebration. Lucy sighed in bliss, feeling that this moment was perfect.

"Hey Lushe! There's still one more!" Happy said flying over with a small package in his paws. Natsu frowned, removing his arm from behind Lucy leaning towards his blue friend.

"Where'd you get that from Happy?"

"It's the one from me and you remember."

"Not really." He mumbled and Lucy laughed as she sat up and took the present from the cat, scratching him behind his ears. His eyes were wide with excitement and he flew above them calling.

"Open it! Open it!"

Lucy laughed at his excitement and pulled on the ribbon, she lifted the lid and her face fell in confusion. She reached in and pulled out a clam. She raised a brow and looked up at Happy.

"This was your idea huh cat."

"This part was, I found it on our last mission! What's inside is all Natsu's idea though." Happy said with a wink and Lucy frowned as she looked back down at the clam. She opened it and gasped. Resting inside was a gold ring with a smooth pearl nestled in the center, surrounded by tiny diamonds. She turned to her right to find Natsu wasn't sitting next to her anymore. He was down on one knee smiling up at her. Her hand covered her mouth and her eyes misted with tears.

"Luce. I've known for some time now that you're the only one for me. You are everything I need in a partner, both on jobs and in life. You are the kindest person I've ever met and I never want to go a day without seeing that beautiful smile. I know that I can be loud and destructive, but I hope that you will continue to stand at my side no matter what. So…Lucy Heartfillia of Fairy Tail…will you marry me?" He whispered. The tears spilled from her eyes as she removed her hand and smiled brightly at her dragon.

"Yes…of course I will you idiot!" She laughed and he took the ring, sliding it onto her finger. She jumped into his arms the minute he stood back up. He caught her and immediately kissed her deeply. The guild erupted into applause and cheers. Natsu pulled away from his soon-to-be bride, grinning like a fool. He kept one arm around her waist and threw his fist into the air,

"Now we really have something to celebrate!" The guild shouted in agreement. Natsu was wrapped in a head-lock by Grey, forcing him to release his hold on Lucy.

"Nice going flameboy, you managed to get through that without screwing up."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Natsu shouted, pulling out of the head-lock.

"You wanna go ice prick?" He added and the boys got into a fight. Lucy laughed as she was surrounded by the other females of the guild for congratulations. She caught Natsu's eye and he winked. She laughed, thinking once more that tonight was absolutely perfect!


	5. Truth or Lemon!

**Hello everyone! Here we are with our second holiday one-shot! I have a couple ideas but this one has been in my head since Halloween . I just had that issue with writer's block. But now I really want to try and get it out, I'll just put a winter twist to it instead of the costume idea…hopefully that actually works lol. Anyways, this is going to be the classic sleepover troupe that, for me, will never get old. I love sleepover stories and all the silly fun that ensures because it reminds me of the times all my female friends would do the exact same thing. Although we had our own version of truth or dare because we weren't allowed to leave the room lol. So here is my version of what Fairy Tail's girls get up to. Also this is rated 'T' for suggestive themes. Please be sure to leave a review letting me know what you think!**

 ***All characters are owned by the magnificent Hiro Mashima***

* * *

The city of Magnolia was covered in a blanket of white. The winter season had arrived in full and everyone was abuzz about it. None more so than the town's guild Fairy Tail. The mages were always a boisterous group, but today was rather unusual for a group of female members.

"So she has no idea right?" Lucy whispered to Lisanna and the other girl giggled while shaking her head.

"Nope! She honestly thinks that I need her help to run some errands! We'll be at your apartment by three." Lisanna said and Lucy gave the thumbs up before running off to check on the others. The older girls of Fairy Tail were planning a surprise for Mirajane. It was the maiden's twenty-fifth birthday and they wanted to do something special. It only seemed fitting that she was born during the winter season with her beautiful white hair.

Levy, Cana, Juvia, Lisanna, and Lucy were planning to meet at Lucy's apartment where they would spring the best party they could on the woman. Erza and Wendy were out on a mission, but they had known about the party and given Lucy their gifts to keep safe until later today.

Everything was set, except for one more thing. Lucy made her way to the table where Natsu and Grey were arguing about something. She slammed her palm on the table to get their attentions.

"I won't both of you to promise that you won't try to break into my house today." She said with a glare for the both of them. Grey made a 'tch' sound and placed his bare arms behind his head.

"I've never broken in like pyro here. I happen to use the spare key Mira gives me." He said and Lucy made a mental note to ask Mira to stop handing out the keys to her place. It was for emergencies! She snorted and then looked over at her partner who had crossed his arms and was avoiding eye-contact.

"Natsu…" She growled and he flinched. Then he pouted up at her.

"But Luce, what if I get hungry in the middle of the night?" He whined and her eye twitched. She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.

"You shouldn't be sneaking into peoples' houses in order to steal their food anyways." She groaned and he chuckled.

"I don't sneak into other peoples' homes. Just yours, cause you don't mind." He grinned and she made a face at him.

"Gee thanks…now I feel so special." She mumbled. She sighed and reached into her pink wallet. She pulled out three thousand jewels and sat it in front of him.

"Here. Dinner is on me tonight, but you have to promise to stay out of my apartment tonight. The girls are coming over and it's a 'no boys allowed' night." She said and Natsu took the money and gave her a quick salute while jumping up.

"You got it boss! No going into your apartment tonight! Promise! Hey Happy, I got food money let's go find a restaurant that stay open late!" He shouted to his blue friend that was trying to entice a certain white exceed into taking a fish from him.

"Aye sir!" Happy shouted and flew after his retreating friend. Lucy couldn't help the giggle that escaped as she watched her two closest nakama run out.

' _Those two only think with their stomachs. And yet they call me fat.'_ She thought to herself and turned to look down at Grey who was still leaning back in the booth. Lucy raise a brow at him, when he noticed he rolled his eyes.

"I already told ya I'm not going to break in. Have your girlie night. I wouldn't want to be a part of that anyways." He grumbled and Lucy grinned down at him.

"Good. But just so you don't get any ideas…Juvia is invited." She said and laughed at the grimace he made while she walked away. She caught the eye of Levy and winked, signaling that all was good to go for later. The two met at the door and began the walk to her apartment in order finish up the last few tasks.

* * *

"Food." Levy said.

"Check!" Lucy said bringing out the last try of finger snacks.

"Perfect! Oh I can't wait to see the look on her face!" Levy laughed and the other women laughed along with her. Juvia turned from fixing the red bow on her present and smiled brightly.

"Juvia has never been to a sleep-over before! Juvia is so happy her nakama invited her." She said and Cana laughed while slinging an arm over the water mage's shoulders.

"Isn't she just the cutest thing? Even after all this time she still acts like a shy thing." Cana teased and Juvia's cheeks turned a bright red as she hid behind her blue locks. The other's joined in for a group hug, giggling. Lucy felt her back pocket vibrate and pulled out the magic card with Lisanna's picture on it. It was winking and flashing a thumbs up, the signal that the last two guests were about to walk through the front door.

"It's time!" Lucy whisper-shouted and they turned off the lights and ducked down out of sight. They heard the doorknob rattle as Lisanna unlocked it. The muffled their giggles as they heard Mira's voice.

"So Lucy needed you to drop off those packages?" She asked and Lisanna grinned back at her sister.

"Well~" She flicked on the lights and they jumped out of hiding shouting,

"Surprise! Happy Birthday Mira!"

The woman's eyes widened before her face split into a wide smile and her eyes began to sparkle in joy. She accepted all the hugs from her friends, laughing.

"Oh girls, you didn't have to do all this."

"Nonsense, you do so much for the guild on a daily. It's about time someone do something nice for you." Levy said and the others agreed. They pushed the birthday girl in and placed a pink tiara on her head. The gifts were presented and the food was enjoyed. After several hours of mindless chatter and gossiping like normal females they began to settle down, sitting in a circle on Lucy's living room floor.

"Hey I have a great idea!" Lisanna said as she suddenly jumped up and disappeared into Lucy's kitchen. Lucy frowned after her friend until she heard the strangest of questions.

"Lucy, do you have lemon juice?" Came the shout from the kitchen and Lucy's frown, along with everyone's confusion, deepened.

"Oh never mind I found it!" Lisanna said as she came out carrying the lemon juice and several shot glasses. Lucy gave a nervous laugh as Lisanna took her seat among the girls.

"Uh…Lis…What's all this for?" She asked and Lisanna flashed a mischievous grin at all of them.

"We're gonna play Truth or Drink." She said and immediately Cana hooted and pulled out a couple bottles of booze, from Mavis knows where.

"Now it's a party!" The busty brunette said and Lisanna giggled.

"See though, alcohol is almost more of a reward for you…but pure lemon juice…" She shivered and held up the bottle.

"Have any of you actually tried to take a shot of this?" She asked and they all shook their heads. Mira tapped her chin and then laughed as she remembered.

"That's right! You, Natsu, Grey and Erza did a contest to see who could take the most. If I remember right Erza won." She said with a giggle and Lisanna grimaced again.

( _A/N: Yes, we took shots of lemon juice because we were under aged and it seemed a fitting punishment for refusing to answer...Actually, as an adult now I would much rather shoot whiskey than lemon juice and that's saying something lol. To this day I still can't drink lemonade…)_

"I don't plan to drink that much this time. No truth is worse than this." She said and Cana flashed a smile.

"Challenge accepted." They all laughed and Lucy shrugged.

"Why not. Sounds like fun actually. Cana, want to donate one of those bottles?" She asked and the brunette held up a finger as she finished chugging the last of the contents. She smacked her lips in satisfaction and then sat the bottle in the middle of their circle.

"I say the birthday girl should go first. Oh and do we want the rule that questions can be repeated?" She asked and Mira nodded.

"Yes, but not back to back. If you get asked a question and you drink instead, we have to wait a whole turn before asking again. Also no asking the same question you were asked right away. Agreed?"

They all nodded and Mira leaned forward to spin the bottle. It did several rotations and then landed on Lisanna. The girl groaned and waved her hand in invite,

"Go ahead I know what it is. You've been asking me for the last week." She sighed and Mira giggled a sparkle in her eye.

"Is it true that Bixlow kissed you?" She asked and the others gasped. Juvia leaned forward and said,

"But Juvia thought Lisanna was in love with Natsu-san?"

Lisanna laughed and shook her head.

"Natsu is just a brother to me, we were kids back then. I'll admit when I first came back I thought we could pick up, but the two of us had changed too much in the time apart. As for Mira's question…" She picked up the bottle of lemon juice and poured a shot, throwing it back and making a gruesome face. Mira pouted,

"Meanie…it's my birthday though."

Lisanna laughed/coughed as she shook her head.

"Nope…I told you to stop asking. Okay moving on, my turn." She spun the bottle and it landed on Juvia. Lisanna had to think hard because she knew any romantic questions were obvious. Then she snapped her fingers and grinned at the water mage.

"Okay Juvia, if Grey wasn't an option, who would you most like want to date in the guild?" She asked and the others looked at the woman who suddenly looked distressed. Probably at the idea of her precious Grey-sama not being available to her.

"Um…Juvia supposes…Gajeel…but only because he's known Juvia for years. But I know it would still be one-sided because Gajeel is in love with someone else." She said with a small giggle and they all noticed that Levy's cheeks turned a soft shade of pink.

"So now Juvia spins?" She asked and pointed at herself. The bottle whirled around before landing on Levy. Juvia clapped her hands in delight.

"Juvia was hoping for Levy-chan! Do you hold any romantic feelings for Gajeel-kun too?" She asked and Levy's pupils shrunk.

"Nope…" She muttered and poured a shot and chugged it. She puckered her lips and gasped.

"Mavis! You weren't kidding about this stuff Lis."

"Told you…pretty soon a tame question like that won't bother you." She laughed and Lucy did as well while shooting her friend a wink.

"Besides, we all know the answer. You just tortured yourself for nothing." She teased and Levy's face flushed further as she shot Lucy a playful glare.

"I hope I get you Lu-chan."

"Bring it, I'm not afraid." Lucy said with a 'come-on' motion, making everyone laugh. Levy spun the bottle and it missed Lucy, who stuck her tongue out and landed on Cana.

"Okay my tiny friend, give me a good one." Cana laughed and Levy thought it over, knowing that it was unlikely she could make the woman drink lemon juice. Cana was fearless and like an open book. But even some books had secrets they didn't want revealed right away.

"Hmm…How many bedroom partners have you had in the last three months?" She asked and was surprised to see Cana blush. She tucked her hair behind her ear and muttered,

"One…"

"One!? Who?" Levy asked and Cana shook her head.

"One question per spin…my turn." She said and they all laughed, not wanting to wait for it to land on the brunette again. Cana recovered when the bottle landed on Lucy. She grinned and wrapped her arm around Lucy's shoulders, getting a good squeeze on Lucy's right breast. Lucy blushed and smacked the hand away. Cana laughed,

"Okay Lu-Lu…pick one male and one female in the guild. Who do you think is the hottest-and I mean looks, in the guild?" She teased and they all laughed as Lucy turned red as a tomato. She glanced at juice, but decided to save it for something worse.

"Female…probably Mira. She is the cover girl for Sorcerer Weekly."

"Aww, thanks Lucy." Mira giggled and Lucy frowned, knowing there was no avoiding it.

"Male…Natsu…" She said and blushed brightly. They all shouted and squealed in delight at her admission.

"Juvia knew that Lucy-san loved Natsu-san!" Juvia laughed and Lucy rolled her eyes.

"I just said he was attractive, but no one can deny that fact." She defended and Levy pointed at her friend.

"But he's not the only one in the guild. You picked him over Loke, our designated playboy and Grey who is just as attractive." She said and Juvia shot the woman a glare, whispering 'love rival'. Levy rolled her eyes and they all laughed again. Lucy directed their attention away from her 'attraction' to Natsu and spun the bottle. It landed on Mira, so that it had come full circle.

"Mira…is it true that you and Laxus had a thing when you were younger?" Lucy said, remembering the conversation she had overheard between Macao and Wakaba.

"Actually, yes. But that was so long ago and I doubt he even remembers." Mira said, not able to hide the sigh that escaped. Lucy grinned and clapped her hands together.

"You still like him!" She shouted and Mira's cheeks turned pink. She twirled a strand of her hair and whispered,

"Maybe...It's my turn!" She said and spun the bottle once more. It landed on Levy and Mira smiled at the petite woman.

"Have you ever kissed anyone?"

"It shouldn't count but…I gave Gajeel air when we were underwater once. So…kinda?" She said and shrugged. They all laughed and agreed that it half counted. Lisanna nudged the woman at her side and winked.

"We'll just have to be sure it's a full kiss next time."

"There's not going to be a next time!" Levy insisted and they all laughed. This had turned out to be a great idea as the questions hadn't gotten too out of hand and they were all laughing a lot. Levy sighed and spun the bottle. This time it did land on Lucy and Levy grinned.

"Lu-chan~ do you have a crush on Natsu?" She asked and Lucy shook her head, her cheeks burning up.

"Of course not! He's my partner and best friend!" She defended, but no one believed her. Cana pulled out a card and slapped it to Lucy's forehead.

"Now let's try this again…" The brunette grinned and once more draped herself over the blonde's shoulders.

"Do you love Natsu as more than nakama?" She asked and Lucy blushed.

"That's not the same question!"

"Consider it punishment for lying on the first one."

"I wasn't-"

"ANSWER THE QUESTION!" Everyone shouted and Lucy sighed, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. She lifted her nose into the air and said a decisive,

"No!" The card attached to her head immediately flashed red and a loud buzzing noise resounded through the room. Lucy blushed, knowing what that meant.

"I-I don't! I-I swear! I can't love Natsu!" She said and each time the card buzzed loudly. Cana laughed and peeled it off. Lucy rubbed the spot and glared at the woman next to her.

"Lu-chan, you said _can't_ the last time. Why do you think you can't fall in love with Natsu?" Levy asked, the game now forgotten as they focused on the blonde. Lucy sighed, knowing it was a losing battle. She laced her fingers together in her lap and lowered her gaze.

"Because he's my best friend…he's the most important person in my life, no offense girls. I love all of you and the rest of the guild, but…but…"

"With Natsu-san it's different." Juvia finished in an understanding tone. Lucy looked to the other woman and returned the soft smile.

"Yeah…he's always the one that's there for me when I need him most. He's the one that bring laughter and joy into my world. I can't chance losing him if he doesn't feel the same. Things would grow weird and I can't risk losing him." She whispered and was suddenly tackled by the others in a comforting hug. She laughed and felt her eyes mist at their support, but forced them not to fall.

"Hey, isn't this supposed to be a fun night? Come on let's pull out my old copies of Sorcerer Weekly and rate the wizards inside." She said and they all took the distraction. The rest of the party was them going through pages and telling stories of mages they had met. The laughter returned and Lucy's small break down was put on a shelf for later.

Soon it was time for everyone to leave and although Levy offered to help clean, Lucy waved her off. She hugged them all goodbye and wished Mira one more 'happy birthday' before shutting and locking her apartment. She sighed and leaned back against the door.

She pushed off the wood and began to pick up the trash and scraps of food left over. She heard the window slide open and couldn't suppress the smile that crossed her face.

"How did you know the party was over?" She asked without turning.

"I saw everyone leaving." Natsu replied and she felt him coming closer to her, probably to pick at the leftovers. She continued to clean until she realized that Natsu was standing behind her in silence. It wasn't like him to stay quiet so she turned to make sure he was okay.

"Natsu?" She asked, worried when she saw the serious set of his face. He looked up at her and there was an unidentifiable fire in his eyes.

"Did you mean what you said…" He whispered and Lucy frowned in confusion.

"What I said?" She asked and jumped as he shot forward and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. Her own arms were now pinned at her side and her worry doubled.

"Natsu, what's wrong?" She asked and heard him softly chuckle.

"Nothing…As long as you meant it…" He whispered again. She thought through their conversation earlier and came up with nothing.

"Natsu what-"

He pulled back and cupped her cheek, cutting off her words. The look in his eyes had intensified and she felt her own heart speed up as he grinned down at her.

"Then let me jog your memory." He whispered and leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers in the lightest kiss. She didn't have time to process before he pulled back again and his thumb caressed her skin.

"Did you mean it Luce? Do you really feel that way about me?" He whispered, his eyes large and hopeful. Dawning finally spread through her as she realized her had been listening on their game.

"You were here! I told you to stay away during the party!" She huffed, trying to free herself. He laughed and held her in place with his superior strength.

"You said to stay out of your apartment. You didn't say anything about sitting on the ledge and enjoying the show." He grinned and her face caught fire as embarrassment swept through her.

"Oh…" She groaned and he chuckled again. He loosened his hold on her so that he could brush aside her bangs and tilt her head up so that she was looking at him again.

"So I'll ask you once more Luce…did you mean it?"

She glared and huffed in annoyance and embarrassment.

"You were listening. You heard the lie-detector spell go off…there's your answer." She turned her head to the side and he whined, grabbing her chin and pulling her back to face him.

"Luce~ please…You don't know how long I've…I want to hear it come from your lips…" He begged and her eyes widened. He was looking at her deeply and she saw the answering longing in the depths of his eyes. She took in a sharp breath as a smile suddenly spread across her face.

"Yes…I meant it when I said it. I am in love with you Natsu Dragneel." She whispered and his face broke into a brilliant display of relief mixed with pure bliss. He pulled her against him and swooped down to capture her lips fully. The kiss was heated and deep, both releasing the pent up passion they had kept hidden. Natsu held her against him, clinging to her like a lifeline. He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers.

"And I am hopelessly in love with you Lucy Heartfillia." He whispered and pure joy filled her heart at his words. He suddenly growled low and pulled her closer, nuzzling into her neck. Placing soft kisses along the delicate curve. Lucy giggled and tried to push him away,

"Natsu…I have to finish cleaning up." She said and he chuckled as he grabbed the back of her thighs and lifted her off her feet. He flashed her a wide grin.

"Nope. I've waited too long for you to admit your feelings I'm not waiting any longer. It'll get done later." He growled and kissed her deeply robbing her of any other thought. She grinned through the kiss and thought,

 _'_ _And it wasn't even my birthday…well…it could always be an early Christmas present…'_

* * *

 **That's the end. Sorry this one is kinda meh', it's not as long because I was having a hard time thinking of 'tame' truth questions. Me and my friends are brutal with a 'no mercy' type target system lol. Anyways I hope you enjoyed it and if you did please leave a review. Or you can leave a review with a suggestion for my next holiday themed one-shot. A sneak into the next one-ice skating + Gruvia. Until next time, stay awesome my lovelies!**


	6. Ice Skating

**Hello everyone! Sorry that this one took a bit longer than planned to come out, but I was uploading my story 'Love's Game' to Wattpad (actually I still am uploading the chapters but needed a break) so now I'm getting back to this so that I can get a few more holiday specials out. Also hopefully soon I can get my program fixed and I can start creating AMV's again. I really want to star this cast in one of my favorite musicals so fingers crossed I can get the equipment to cooperate. Anyways, let's get into this holiday ball of fluff. Please enjoy this high school AU one-shot, starring Juvia and Gray as a change of pace. After all this would seem like their chosen season, at least Gray's. Also, as I was reading over one of my older chapters to make sure I didn't have a continuity issue I noticed something strange.**

 **Apparently my computer thought it was funny to change Gray's name to Grey (why I have no freakin' idea-.-) So I'm sorry that I've been spelling it wrong, but it was not on purpose lol. All fixed now and in future chapters I'll be sure to watch my autocorrect more closely.**

 **Let me know what you though by leaving a comment! Also even though I said I wasn't going to I have been working on the new chapter for Magic so it may be out at the beginning of January, but no promises as I'm about to get busy with work and family. No more rambling I promise, enjoy!**

 ***All characters are owned by our lord and savior Hiro Mashima***

* * *

Lucy was walking down the halls of Fairy Tail High, ready to start Winter Break. She stretched and sighed before adjusting her scarf and exiting the building. A sound to her right caught her attention and she turned to see Juvia Lockster sitting on a bench with an umbrella protecting her from the snow. Lucy smiled and walked over to her friend, about to call out a greeting when she got a closer look at the girl's face. Lucy's smile fell and she quickened her pace to reach her friend's side.

"Juvia! Juvia what's wrong?" She called out and Juvia looked up, the remains of tears still lingering in her eyes.

"Oh, Lucy-san…Juvia was just…" Juvia tried to hide her tears and force another smile on her face, but Lucy had already seen the despair in the girl's bright eyes. She grabbed her friend's cold hand and held it between hers.

"Juvia, did something happen with Gray again?" She asked and Juvia sighed as an answer. Juvia was hopelessly in love with the boy, but he seemed indifferent towards her, only tolerating her because she was Lucy's friend. Lucy had tried to sway him into giving Juvia a chance, but he was stubborn.

"…asked Juvia out…"

Lucy realized she had been so deep in thought that she hadn't been listening. She blinked and shook her head to clear away the distraction and focused back on her friend, who was now blushing slightly.

"I'm sorry Juvia, what did you say?" She asked and the bluenette looked up with bright eyes.

"Gray-sama asked Juvia out on a date for Friday." She repeated and Lucy fell in a comedic way as shock ran through her body. She jumped back up and gaped at her friend.

"He what!? Then-why-how-what!?" She stuttered, no longer able to form words into full sentences. Juvia giggled at her friend's confusion and motioned that they start walking home and out of the cold. Lucy followed and walked next to Juvia as she explained.

"Juvia was wishing Gray-sama a happy holidays as Juvia was sure she wouldn't see precious Gray-sama…then he…Gray-sama said we would probably see each other over break. Juvia was elated as that was the first time Gray-sama has shown any positive response to being around Juvia."

"So, when did he actually ask you out?" Lucy asked, starting to wonder if it had all been Juvia's wild imagination getting away from her again. But that seemed unlikely as it wouldn't explain why she had been so upset before.

"When Gray-sama was walking Juvia outside, he asked if I'd like to do something on Friday to celebrate the break." Juvia said, her mood once more souring as a dark aura surrounded her. Lucy scratched her head through her wool hat and frowned.

"So…Gray asked you out and you aren't exploding with happiness?" Lucy asked, now completely giving up on trying to understand this woman. Juvia looked up at her and the hopelessness was clear.

"Juvia said yes before finding out where Gray-sama wanted to go…" She said and Lucy tilted her head to see her friend's face clearly and to hear her next words.

"Gray-sama wants to go skating…" She sighed and Lucy couldn't help her response. She jumped in front of Juvia to block her path, grabbing her hand again.

"He asked you to go ice skating!? Juvia that's great! Everyone knows that ice skating is the perfect chance to get closer to your crush during the winter season!" Lucy laughed, but Juvia's sad sigh broke through her joy, reminding her that her friend was upset. Juvia shook her head and whispered,

"Juvia can't skate."

Lucy blinked and then frowned. They started walking again and Lucy asked,

"Why didn't you tell Gray that?"

"Juvia was afraid Gray-sama would change his mind or find someone else to go with…" She cried and Lucy tapped her chin in thought. Friday was tomorrow so that didn't leave much time. She snapped her fingers and beamed brightly at the other girl.

"I got it! Come on!" She shouted, grabbing Juvia's wrist and pulling her along behind.

"Where is Lucy-san taking Juvia?"

"To the rink! We're going to get you ready for your big date tomorrow!"

* * *

"Toe pick! Juvia turn your skates!" Lucy shouted trying to catch her run-away friend who was flailing her arms out trying to stay on her wobbling feet. Juvia shouted as she started to go down, but luckily a pink blur flew past Lucy and caught the girl in his arms.

"Natsu-san!" Juvia cried as the teen grinned down and pulled her back to her feet. Lucy reached their sides and sighed in relief before smiling brightly at Natsu.

"Hey you. What are you doing here?" She asked, going to Juvia's other side to offer more support.

"You did send me a text saying you were going to the rink remember weirdo." He said and Lucy laughed, having actually forgotten she had cancelled on their plans to study together for geometry.

"Oh yeah. Sorry again for ditching you." She apologized and he waved her off, then looked down at a despondent Juvia and asked,

"So…why are you guys here?"

"I'm teaching Juvia to skate." Lucy said and Natsu laughed hard, releasing his hold on Juvia and doubling over. The girls frowned at him and Juvia's depression deepened.

"Juvia is not that bad, is she?"

Natsu straightened at that and waved his hands before him.

"No! No Juvia that's not why I'm laughing. I was laughing at the fact that you asked weirdo here who couldn't skate for the first three years she moved here. I had to teach her." He explained and Lucy puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.

"I've gotten better Natsu. I'm more than capable of helping Juvia!"

"But not by tomorrow." He pointed out and took Juvia's hands and turned so that he was skating backwards and pulling her along with him.

"Come on Juvia I'll help. Luce can follow and offer moral support." He said with another grin and then focused his attention on Juvia.

Lucy had to admit that after twenty minutes of following Natsu's instructions, Juvia was skating better. He was a pretty good teacher when he tried. Being both encouraging and informative, just as when he had helped Lucy. She smiled softly as she looked over her best friend as he slowly released Juvia's hands so that she was skating on her own. He stayed close in case she started to lose her balance, but Juvia shouted in elation as she continued to go on her own.

"Juvia is ice skating!" She laughed and Lucy cheered her on, smiling brightly as Juvia skated in slow, even strokes, propelling her further from her friends. Natsu slowed down so that he was at Lucy's side and laced his fingers behind his head, grinning down at her.

"See Luce. Just one more thing I beat you at." He boasted and she rolled her eyes and shook her head. She pointed her finger at him,

"You don't beat me at **_everything_** Natsu Dragneel."

"Name one." He challenged and she laughed and began counting on her fingers.

"School scores, Dance Revolution, Summoners War…"

"You don't **_always_** beat me at Summoners!" He shouted and she laughed again until they were both laughing. They were interrupted though by a desperate shout.

"Juvia doesn't know how to stop!"

"Hang on!" Natsu laughed and sped up to catch Juvia and explain the next part of skating which involved stopping. Lucy giggled when something finally clicked in her head.

"How did he know Juvia needs to learn to skate by tomorrow?" She whispered.

* * *

Juvia sat bouncing on the balls of her feet, actually excited to see her precious Gray-sama. Now that she could skate well enough to stay by his side, thanks to Natsu-san, she wasn't as nervous. She had taken great care with her appearance, pulling her blue waves into a high pony-tail and she even wore slight make-up. She was wearing a green, wool shirt with a high neck and long sleeves that went down to just above her knees and leggings underneath. She was slightly exposed to the elements, but the outfit had been Lucy-san's idea.

 _"_ _After you've been skating for a while suggest some hot chocolate at the Café Dieum. That way you can snuggle close."_ Juvia was so hopeful that this time she would be able to make her love confess that he did like Juvia.

"Hey Juvia you're early." His smooth voice reached her and she twirled around with shining eyes. She jumped over to him and wrapped herself around his arm.

"Gray-sama! Juvia is so happy to see you again!" She said and Gray gave a nervous laugh as he tried to pry her off.

"You saw me yesterday Juvia. Come on let's go. Oh, I forgot to ask yesterday, do you skate?" He asked and Juvia nodded.

"Juvia recently learned and is excited to be able to join Gray-sama." Juvia said and he nodded as he led the way to the rink's edge. He tied up his skates as did Juvia _,_ the two of them sitting side-by-side on a bench. Juvia felt tingles run through her at the proximity of her true love. She beamed up at him as he stood and offered her his hand to help her onto the ice.

She felt the familiar wobble in her legs as the blades met the ice. She gave a nervous smile as Gray let go of her hand and started to move with such easy fluidity. She took a deep breath and remembered what Natsu-san showed her yesterday. She was pleased when she was able to catch up to Gray's side again.

"So why did Gray-sama want to go skating today?" Juvia asked and watched as Gray stiffened and a slight flush started in his cheeks. She tilted her head in confusion when he tried to turn away to hide it. She may have leaned a little too far because she started to lose her balance. She gave a startled cry and had to cling to Gray's arm to steady herself. She blushed as she heard him chuckle.

"It must have been really recent." He teased and Juvia laughed to hide the truth of that statement. She gave him a sheepish smile and whispered,

"Juvia guesses she still has a lot to learn."

He grinned and took her hands off his arm, causing her smile to falter until he laced his fingers with hers. Juvia was sparkling at that moment as she felt his rough skin slide along hers. She beamed up at him and was surprised to see him smiling back.

"I don't want to brag, but I'm a pretty decent skater. Just stay by my side and I won't let you fall." He assured and she nodded vigorously, having to bite her tongue so that she didn't shout the words in her head.

' _Juvia will always stay by Gray-sama's side!'_ Instead she gave him a bright smile and the two of them continued to skate easily. Juvia couldn't believe this wasn't all an elaborate dream her mind had created. Gray was actually talking to her, holding her hand and seemed genuinely pleased to be near her.

"What else does Gray-sama want to do over break?" Juvia asked and Gray shrugged, then he turned to her with a slightly stern look that made Juvia worried everything was about to crumble out of her dream world.

"You know, I've said several times that you can drop the 'sama'. Why don't you just call me Gray or at least Gray-san like the others?" He asked and Juvia shook her head with a small giggle.

"What's so funny?" He asked and she released his hand to slide herself in front of him. Natsu had taken several hours to attempt this, but she was feeling confident with Gray near to try again. She began to slowly skate backwards, still facing Gray as she did.

"Juvia is laughing because Gray-sama said something funny."

"And what was that?" He asked his arms crossing over his chest and his brow raising.

"Juvia can't call Gray-sama by the same greeting as Juvia's other friends. Because Gray-sama…means more to Juvia than the others…" She said with a small blush that reflected on Gray's cheeks. He knew that Juvia liked him, but always assumed it was a hero's worship from the day he rescued her from being mugged. She never should have been walking home alone anyways.

He sighed and looked at her fully then. He had to admit that she was very pretty, more than that. Juvia seemed to always be glowing with happiness, at least when she was around him. No matter his mood before she showed up, Juvia had a way of making the rain disappear with her smile. He would never say it out loud for the others to hear and denied any accusations, but he was quite fond of Juvia as well. But he wasn't sure if her affections for him weren't clouded by their first encounter.

"Juvia…" He started when she gave a sudden cry again. He reached for her and she latched onto his wrists in an attempt to right herself, but it was already too late. The two of them went down onto the ice. Gray quickly lifted himself up so that he didn't crush the poor girl.

"Juvia are you alri-" He couldn't finish his sentence because her laughter cut him off. He stared down at her in surprise as her face flushed brightly and her melodic laugh surrounded them. Soon her laughter became infectious and he joined her. He sat back and helped her sit up across from him. She was still laughing and tears were forming at the corners of her eyes.

His laughter faded as he took in the beauty before him. Juvia's hair was haloed around her face with small flecks of ice sparkling in the light. She looked like a winter spirit with her pale skin, marred only by the pleasant, pink flush spreading through her cheeks. When she finally opened her eyes for him to admire he had to suck in a breath. They were like shining stars, maybe even brighter as they stared at him with such mirth and…not admiration. No, there was no denying the emotion reflected in her beautiful expression.

"Juvia…" He rasped and reached out to grab her shoulders, shocking her. She jumped and her laughter faded at the serious look on his face. He heard her take in a soft breath and instantly his eyes were drawn to her full lips. He swallowed and raised his eyes back to hers, seeing the laughter being replaced by longing. He groaned and began to lean closer to her, watching as her lashed fluttered with nervous.

He stopped though when their lips were almost touching and pulled back suddenly, his face bright red. He shook his head and gave a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his head.

"Maybe we should get out of the cold." He said as he made a move to stand.

" ** _OH COME ON! ARE YOU-MMPH!"_**

The two of them jumped at the shout and looked around them, but couldn't see who had was near, but didn't see anyone. Gray scratched his head and looked around.

"Maybe we have been out too long, I'm starting to hear things." He joked and Juvia giggled from her spot still on the ice. Gray smiled and helped her stand once more, keeping a firm hold on her so they wouldn't fall again. He gave her a nervous look and tried to explain himself.

"Look Juvia…about what…well I…what almost…Just now I was-" He was once more cut off as one of her slender fingers pressed against his lips. He was surprised to see her still smiling brightly at him, not seeming hurt at his withdrawl. She was still her usual happy self and Gray felt another crack spread through the shield protecting himself.

"Juvia would like some hot chocolate now. How about you Gray-sama?" She asked and Gray felt his stance relax once more as Juvia linked her arm with his and the two skated to the side. He smiled down at her and whispered,

"Gray would love some hot chocolate…So long as Juvia-sama is with him."

And the sparkles that appeared around the woman were worth more than all the pride in the world.

 _'_ _Dammit…now I owe the Salamander twenty bucks…'_

* * *

Natsu sighed in relief when the pair disappeared off the rink. He stared down at the blonde woman struggling in his grip, his hand still covering her big mouth and her back pressed against the tree they were hiding behind. He grinned,

"Nice going weirdo, they almost caught us." He had to pull back and release her as her knee came dangerously close to making contact that time. He laughed as he avoided the swings that followed.

"Natsu! Why did you grab me like that!?" She shouted and he laughed, catching her wrists to keep her from striking him.

"Because you almost cost me twenty bucks." He said and she stopped struggling as she stared up at him in confusion. He chuckled at the cute look and explained,

"I bet Gray twenty bucks that if he just asked Juvia out once he would see that it wouldn't be so bad."

Her shocked expression was amazing and made him laugh even harder. She gaped for several minutes before dawning struck.

"That's how you knew Juvia had to learn to skate before tomorrow! And why you were there to help teach her!" She accused and he held up his hands with a bright grin.

"Guilty and it was worth every second to knock some sense into the ice princess." He laughed and Lucy crossed her arms with her finger on her chin in thought. She frowned and asked,

"But why would you think to bet Gray in the first place? You never showed any interest in Juvia's affections for him."

"That's because I didn't do it for Juvia." He whispered and her frown deepened.

"Then who-"

He pressed her lips against hers in a briefest of kisses, robbing her of air and logical thought. He pulled back and gave her a quick wink.

"If you couldn't figure it out by now, you're not as smart as you think Luce. I'll see you tonight for the raid." He said and left, leaving her standing there blushing brightly without and coherent thoughts. Finally her brain was kick-started and Natsu heard the shout ring through the forest.

" **NATSU YOU IDIOT!"**

He grinned and whispered,

"But I'm your idiot Luce."

* * *

 **Okay everyone there's the chapter I promised. Sorry it took so long, holidays are crazy busy and I was having connection issues so I couldn't post it once it was done. So let me know what you thought and I might be writing one more of these, but if I don't get a chance I'll go straight to the next chapter of Magic instead. Happy holidays and I hope to hear from you. Until next time, stay awesome my lovelies!**


	7. House Party

**Hi everyone! Sorry about the delay in the chapter for 'Magic' but for those that decided to follow me on facebook know. But for those that don't I caught a nasty cold, just like I usually do this time of year. But it makes my brain go a bit fuzzy and writing is difficult. Plus Magic is giving me a harder time right now at the part I'm in. So that chapter may not be out this month, but I am going to do my best to get it going and up for all of you to enjoy. In the meantime I decided to write another quick one-shot to help clear my head and refocus on what I need to for the next chapter. So here is a new AU one-shot. This one will get a bit heated with lots of steam so it's somewhere between 'T' &'M'. So skip if that's not your cup of tea. **

***All characters are owned by Hiro Mashima who loves to toy with our shipping hearts.***

Lucy finished running the wand over her lashes, applying the final touch of make-up for the party tonight. It was time for the annual New Year's Bash at the Strauss estate. Practically all of Fairy Tail High would be there and Lucy was super excited to relax one last time before school resumed after break. She winked at her reflection, knowing that she was rocking it tonight in her red, halter top and black mini skirt. She was also wearing knee length boots that drew attention to her legs.

Her phone beeped and she looked to see it was a text message from her best friend.

 **Natsu: Hey Luce. You're coming tonight right?**

 **Lucy: Of course moron. You were there when we all made plans to meet at Mira's house.**

 **Natsu: I'm not a moron.**

Lucy rolled her eyes and closed her phone again so that she could grab her jacket and keys. As she was locking up her apartment, her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey Luce. When you didn't respond I got a bit worried." Natsu's voice came out the other end. Lucy would never admit that his constant worrying was cute and pleased her greatly.

"You really need to stop stalking me so much." She teased as she walked down the stairs of her building out to the street.

"I'm not a stalker! That would put me on the same level as that pervert Gray!" He shouted indignantly. She giggled and looked around until she spotted him leaning against a tree not far from her building.

"I can see you, you moron. Seriously Natsu. I hope you don't do this to your future girlfriend someday." She said into the phone and he looked over to see her staring at him. He waved, a sheepish grin on his face as he continued to talk through their phones.

"No worries there because I don't stalk, I worry. Big difference Luce. Besides, I can't help it if our houses are only a street away so I can get here quickly. It should make you feel safer." He said and she rolled her eyes again, placing her free hand on her hip as she watched him walk closer.

"My hero. Since you're here I suppose we can walk to the party together." She said into the phone even though Natsu was standing in front of her now. He grinned and rubbed his chin, turning away from her as he responded into the phone, his voice echoing now that he was so close.

"I don't know. I'm not sure I want to be seen with such a weirdo. The cute girls at the party might get the wrong idea about us." He teased and Lucy blushed as she closed her phone so hard she was afraid she had cracked the screen. She huffed and started walking past him towards the party.

"Well then I guess I'll see you there. Unless you're busy hitting on some girl." She hissed, not liking the jealousy that was lashing at her insides. He laughed and caught up to her, grabbing her elbow.

"Geez Luce. I was kidding. You should know by now that I don't worry about that stuff anyways." He said with his usual grin and she sighed, admitting that he was right. Natsu Dragneel was one of the hottest guys at their school, but he rarely dated. People had assumed that he was gay at first, but since he still flirted with several girls and had been caught-much to Lucy's dismay- making out with some on campus, that rumor died. He wasn't an enigma when it came to sexual attraction, but he wasn't one to jump through girls just to entertain himself either. He had already told Lucy that he wanted to find the 'right' girl before getting too serious and he didn't think he had yet.

"Sorry. Maybe I'm just nervous about tonight. It feels like the last summer party we'll have together. It's our senior year after all." Lucy said and Natsu smiled as he wrapped her arm around her shoulders.

"Don't worry Luce. Even after we graduate, you'll always have me." He said with so much sincerity that Lucy had to hold back the urge to leap at him then. Instead she gave him a bright smile and nodded. As they walked the rest of the way in silence she let herself take in his appearance.

Lucy was convinced that Natsu couldn't look bad in anything, even if he tried. Tonight he was wearing a black, V-neck with his tan cargo pants. The shirt was tight fitted and showed off the planes of his abs without giving too much detail away. But Lucy had an amazing imagination and she had seen her friend shirtless on more than one occasion. The shirt also showed off how muscled his arms were and she was trying hard not to squirm as he had one draped over her still.

They heard music thumping through the air and knew that they were nearing the party. Natsu removed his arm and Lucy felt a twinge of disappointment. She wondered if he really didn't want girls at the party to think they were together. The thought left a sour dip in her mood as she had begun to wonder if he had said that to hint his rejection. She couldn't be completely sure if he knew that she liked him, but she still held the secret hope that he felt the same.

They entered the house and her thoughts were diverted as she heard her name being called. She waved and Natsu followed her towards their group of friends. Lucy hugged Levy and the two began talking, quickly distracting Lucy from her dark thoughts. She glanced over at Natsu and smiled as she watched him already trying to pick a fight with Gray. She realized there was no sense in worry tonight and that she should just focus on having a good time.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Lucy had no idea what time it was and normally she would be worried about getting some assignment done or having to get up for work in the morning, but she was having far too much fun to worry about anything else. This had been exactly what she needed and was the perfect way to start off their senior year! She laughed again as she sat with the girls. She had left her jacket in the closet as the number of bodies in the house meant it was way too hot for one while inside.

As a result she had gotten many compliments and a few guys asking for her number. She had accepted their words graciously and politely denied all their enquires about dates. Her friends were trying to pry into her reasons for turning down some rather cute guys, but she couldn't bring herself to admit that it was because she only wanted one guy to compliment her. And so far...he had been the only one _not_ to do so.

Lucy grew a little irritated as she looked around for him again, but couldn't spot him in the room all their friends were gathered. She was sitting with Erza and Levy at one of the tables set up for the party. She leaned over and saw Gray and Juvia had grabbed a private corner to...she blushed but silently cheered for Juvia achieving what she couldn't as she turned the town's ice man into a puddle.

She sighed when she continued to look for the familiar head of pink hair and located none. Levy noticed Lucy's sudden downcast expression she nudged Erza and the two shared a knowing look. Levy smiled and tapped Lucy's shoulder to get her attention again.

"Hey Lu-chan, let's go dance!" She said grabbing Lucy's wrist and pulling the blonde out of her seat before she could respond or resist. The three girls made their way through the crowd toward the living room that had been cleared out to make room for the students to dance. The Strauss' even hired a DJ for the night. The thumping music made their blood beat in time with the music and Lucy felt the rhythm flow through her body and she began to move on instinct. Levy and Erza joined her and they attracted quite a bit of attention around them.

"Great idea Levs!" Lucy shouted over the music so that Levy could hear her. Levy nodded and bumped Lucy's hips with her own as the two swayed and twirled in time with the music. Lucy closed her eyes and let herself get lost in her dancing. She wished that she could remain in that blissful state forever, but Erza's next words pierced through her bubble.

"Who knew Natsu could dance so well."

Lucy's eyes shot open and her head whipped around so fast, she was sure she snapped something. Her eyes fell on Natsu as he swayed with the music and for a second she admitted that he was a pretty good dancer. But then her heart shattered as her eyes fell to his hands that were splayed on the hips of the girl he was dancing with. It was Lisanna Strauss, the youngest sibling in the family and it was rumored that the pair had dated in the past. And that the only reason they broke up was because Lisanna had been overseas for her studies. She had returned in the middle of summer, planning to finish high school with her friends.

"Those two sure do move well together. Do you think their old flame will return this year?" Levy asked, both girls completely oblivious to the devastated look on Lucy's face. Erza shrugged and continued dancing as she watched the two. Lisanna had turned so that she was facing Natsu again and there was no denying the invitation in the way she moved or the look in her eyes.

Lucy could only stand frozen in the middle of the floor as she watched Natsu holding another girl. She had heard about his flirting, had listened as he recounted a few dates. But none of those moments hurt as much as this. Actually seeing him with someone else and recognizing the look in his eyes. She felt her chest constrict and clutched her hands over her heart as she turned and fled.

She was running blindly with her eyes closed, trying to fight back the tears that were fast approaching. She forced her way past people, solely focused on getting to a safe corner that she could let out her emotions. She finally burst through the crowd to see a staircase leading up to the second floor. She looked behind her to see that her vision was blurring so she ran up the stairs two at a time. She rubbed at her eyes to try and clear away the water, but she couldn't stop it now. She opened a door to see it was another bathroom and quickly ducked inside and moving to the counter, turning on the faucet.

She looked up into the mirror and grimaced. Her make-up was starting to run already. She found the box of tissues and pulled a square out, attempting to salvage what she could before she tried to rejoin the others. She wiped away the streaks of black and dabbed at her eyes, but she couldn't do anything about the redness. She sighed and leaned her weight against the counter with her head lowered.

She had always believed that even if Natsu didn't feel the same way she did, she would still be happy having him as her friend. But seeing him with Lisanna and hearing the others say how perfect they were for each other had ripped a large gash in her heart. Lisanna was such a sweetheart and the two had grown up together so Lucy knew that she would take care of Natsu and that he _would_ be happy with her. But...but the selfish part of her wanted him to only be happy with her.

She sighed and looked up into the mirror again to check her image. Her eyes were still a little pink, but so long as no one looked too close they should clear up before the party was over. She washed her hands and slapped her cheeks a bit to get some color back in them. She gave the best smile she could to the mirror and opened the door, exiting the bathroom.

"Now all I have to do is avoid Natsu the rest of the night and all will be fine." She cringed at how impossible that task sounded. And she was proven right when she found her friends sitting back at the table with two new add ons. One was Gajeel who had Levy sitting on his lap, not that she looked like she would be complaining anytime soon. The other was Lisanna who was sitting next to Natsu with a pretty blush on her cheeks as she laughed at something he said. Lucy felt her heart seize again, but she put on the best smile she could.

"There you are Lucy! We got worried when we turned around and you were gone." Erza said and Levy giggled as she held her hand up to cover her mouth in a stage whisper.

"She was convinced that you had been kidnapped by some guy with impure intentions. She was about ready to tear through the crowd before Gajeel showed up and said he saw you running upstairs, alone."

"Sorry to worry you guys. I had to use the little girl's room and all the bathrooms down here were occupied." She lied and held her breath as she waited for someone to call her out. None did, and she started to breathe a sigh of relief until her eyes fell on Natsu. She swallowed at the look he was giving her. It was one she was familiar with and had seen over the course of their friendship. It was whenever she tried to lie around him and he knew she was.

Thankfully he didn't say anything, but she had a feeling that he would bring it up later when he got a chance. She turned her attention away from him and took the empty seat at the table. Unfortunately the only one was next to Juvia and directly across from Natsu and Lisanna. So that meant that while she pretended to laugh and feign interest in conversations around her, she was very much aware of the two of them getting closer.

She watched as Lisanna leaned over and whispered into Natsu's ear, her lashes fluttering slightly. Lucy had to look away as anger and bitterness swept through her. Lisanna wasn't exactly her best friend, but she had never done anything negative towards Lucy so she couldn't openly hate the girl. But she could envy her and her obvious ties with Natsu. Even as close as he had gotten with Lucy, she had never seen the look he was giving Lisanna now directed at her. It was heated and made the girl blush brighter and Lucy tear up again. She bit her tongue and silently cursed herself.

"We'll be back. We're going to dance some more!" Lisanna laughed and latched onto Natsu's arm as he led her back to the moving couples. Lucy watched them disappear and glared down at the table, her nails digging into her palms as she tried to calm her pulse.

"Come on shrimp. I didn't beg my boss for the night off to not have some time with you alone." Gajeel growled and Levy blushed as everyone laughed. He dragged her off to who knows where, Erza's warning about propriety and keeping his manhood ringing over the music. Lucy watched as Juvia begged Gray endlessly until he gave in and agreed to dance with her as well.

"Then there were two." Lucy joked with little humor. Erza glanced over and frowned.

"Lucy? Is something wrong? You haven't been yourself tonight. Me and the girls are worried about you. You know you can always talk to us about anything." She said, but Lucy shook her head and gave Erza a soft smile.

"I'm fine. Probably just feeling a bit of melancholy as this is our final year in high school." She said and it was sufficient enough to calm Erza's worry as the redhead smiled again.

"It does feel strange for it all to be ending. But that doesn't mean it's the end of us or anything we cherish." She said and Lucy looked towards the people she could see dancing, imagining Natsu with Lisanna again. A dark cloud fell over her as she mumbled,

"Yeah...nothing we cherish will change…"

Before Erza could speak again they turned at a throat being cleared. Lucy looked up and waved to Jellal as he stood nervously beside Erza, whose face now matched her hair. Lucy giggled, even in her sour mood she couldn't help but feel giddy when she watched the normally stoic and calm Jellal fall over himself for Erza. Or for the legendary monster of the disciplinary committee turn into a gooey romantic around the boy.

"Hello Miss Scarlet. I didn't expect to see you here." He said and Lucy rolled her eyes at how proper he was trying to be, even with his voice shaking. Erza only nodded as she had lost her voice suddenly. Lucy sighed and nudged her friend with her foot under the table. That made her jump and the loud bang made them both blush. Lucy facepalmed and sighed again, if she didn't intervene this would grow even more awkward. She clapped her hands together and smiled at the two,

"Oh Erza! Don't you just love this song!? This is the one you were telling me about the other day right?" She asked and Erza frowned at her.

"No-" Lucy kicked her under the table and she cried out.

"Ah-I mean yes. This is _that_ song."

"Oh...well...would you mind then...if I asked you to dance?" Jellal said and Erza broke into a wide smile and stood from the table, taking Jellal's hand. But she hesitated before she walked away and turned to Lucy.

"Why don't you come too Lucy?" She asked and Lucy shook her head, waving her off.

"No. Go on, have fun. I'm a bit danced out. I'll catch up later after I rest 'kay?" She said.

"Are you sure you'll be okay alone." Erza asked, leaning closer and whispering behind her hand. Lucy nodded and whispered back, adding a wink for emphasis.

"I'm fine. Go get that stud and not waste this opportunity. Stop being the disciplinary committee for one night and live a little."

"Lucy!" Erza gasped and straightened her face scarlet like her hair. Jellal raised his brow, but was wise enough not to question anything. The two walked off and Lucy made sure to keep her warm smile on her face as she waved until they were completely out of view. But once they couldn't see anymore she deflated and rested her head on the table.

"And then there was only one." She whispered and sighed. If Natsu got with Lisanna, would this be how it felt from now on? Would he be off with her and Lucy would be left all alone again. She was already an orphan, both of her parents had passed away. She had been left with the Heartfillia fortune and her father's old business partners had said how she was now a rich heiress and her life would change. Well it did, from that point on people were always trying to get close to her. But they were only after the Heartfillia fortune, even going so far as to try and push their sons on her.

So she had disappeared. Packed up and moved to a new town to start her new life. She never would have guessed that she would meet such wonderful people. Especially a boy with bright, pink hair and a warm smile. She had started to feel like she used to with her mother and father still alive. Loved. Wanted-for more than her money. None of her friends knew the truth about her past, believing that she worked to survive. When in reality she worked at a local bakery to keep from going crazy and feeling contained in a cage all the time. She had emergency money that she could use to pack up again if anyone found out who she was.

But the moment had never come. She had been accepted by these people without a question to her origins. They were her new family and she felt so horrible for being as greedy as she was right now. All of these people loved her openly and yet she had lied to them for years. Worse...she was now being completely selfish when it came to the one person that had always put her needs first.

Natsu deserved the best. She lifted her head and fisted her hands on the table as she steeled her resolve. If the best for him meant that he was with someone else, then all she could do was be there to support him. And...and if some point down the line he left…she would wish him well and heal her broken heart alone.

She stood and decided it would be best if she got a drink to calm her shaking and then hunt down the others. She moved through people on her way to the kitchen and once more marveled at how many people came to this thing every year. When she was able to breathe again without being assaulted by perfume and body odors she sighed in relief and walked into the kitchen. Looking around to find it surprisingly bare she decided to take a few minute to relax and enjoy the peace before having to place the facade of the care-free girl once more.

She poured herself a glass of punch, she sighed and took a sip of the tangy juice. She leaned back against the counter and listened to the distant music.

"Man...being in this mini-mansion reminds me of home mom. Mira's lucky that her parents allow her to throw this bash while they're out of town." She whispered, not knowing why she felt the need to be quiet. Maybe she was afraid of breaking the delicate peace surrounding her. Lucy stretched and wondered if maybe she should just go home instead. She was suddenly feeling tired and after the emotions she had gone through she could use a hot bath. Maybe then she could convince herself to give up on a love that could never happen.

" _It doesn't feel right…"_

Lucy jumped as she heard the hurried whisper from around the corner. Was that where the storeroom was? Lucy hesitated in her decision on what to do. It wasn't wise to eavesdrop and she knew she should leave, but her feet refused to listen.

" _Come on Natsu~haven't you wanted to pick up where we left off?"_

Lucy jumped as she heard his name, now recognizing the voices. She covered her mouth to hide any noise and alert the pair to her presence. Weren't they supposed to be on the dance floor!? Lucy looked around as her mind raced to pick the path it wanted to travel. She chose the darker of the two and inched closer to the voices.

" _Of course...but...I don't know Liz...Something doesn't-mmph!"_ Natsu's voice was interrupted and Lucy felt like ice shards were piercing her heart slowly one at a time. She inched closer and heard what sounded like heavy breathing and a soft thud.

' _Don't look! Whatever you do! Just turn away now and pretend this didn't happen! At least then you have some hope of salvaging-'_ But it was too late. The shouts in her head went unheard and Lucy rounded the corner to see the final stab to her heart. Natsu with Lisanna pinned to the wall and the two completely lost in one another. Their shared kiss was an image that she knew would haunt her for years. She tried to retreat quickly, but ran into something that toppled over. The loud noise made the pair jump and turn at the intrusion.

Natsu's eyes widened as they met Lucy's. Lucy froze as she gaped at the two, unable to say anything. When she felt something wet running down her cheeks she realized she was crying and turned away.

"I'm sorry." She cried and ran through the kitchen. She heard Natsu call after her, but didn't stop as she pushed people out of her way. She wasn't trying to hide the tears now as her only thought was of escape. She had almost made it to the door when a hand caught her wrist, forcing her to stop.

"Luce wait!" Natsu shouted as he pulled her back to him. Lucy shook her head and tugged against the wrist he held.

"Luce! Talk to me. What's wrong?" He asked and she opened her eyes to stare at him incredulously. How could he not realize why she was upset. He saw her expression and cringed.

"Look Luce. Let me...Let me explain what you just saw." He said and she felt more tears fill her eyes. So he wasn't a complete idiot after all, but the last thing she wanted now was to hear him confirm her pain.

"Let me go Natsu!" She cried and pulled against his hold again, noticing that they were starting to draw a crowd. Among them a few of their friends. She doubled her attempts to escape, but Natsu was stronger than her.

"Luce come on! This isn't like you. Just. **Listen to me!** " He shouted and she closed her eyes, reacting on instinct as her other hand sliced through the air. The loud crack resounded through the silent house since the music had stopped at the commotion. Lucy opened her eyes and gasped as she watched Natsu reach up to cup his red cheek. He released her wrist and she stumbled back as she took in all the eyes watching her.

She choked on another sob and ran from the party and all her friends. She ran down the street, sobbing as her face streaked further with tears and mascara. She tripped on a crack in the sidewalk and scraped her hands trying to catch herself. She lifted herself up and held her stinging hands to her chest as she cried her heart ache out.

She had never struck him. Not seriously. She had hit him when he was being annoying, but those were the kind of strikes friends lightly give each other. This was different. She had used full force like she would on a creep pawing at her. He would know the difference and taking in his stunned look, already had.

"Way to go Lucy...now he'll hate you forever." She cried as she tried to wipe her eyes with her arm.

"I wouldn't say that." A rough voice hissed behind her. She turned and gasped as she stared up at Natsu, who was glaring down at her. She turned her gaze away from him and sniffled in an attempt to control her crying.

"What are you doing here? Go back to the party." She whispered and watched him through her bangs. He had crossed his arms as he continued to glare down at her.

"Can't. The party ended when you left." He said and she gave a humorless laugh.

"Great! So I'm going to start this year off as the freak that ruined the biggest party of the year…" When he didn't respond she felt herself shiver from the sudden cold surrounding her.

"Go away Natsu…" She whispered and he growled before her arm was suddenly yanked and she was forced to her feet. He began to walk, dragging her behind him and despite her protests he kept going.

"Natsu! Natsu let me go! Natsu!" She shouted, but her words fell on deaf ears as he continued to drag her through the streets. She recognized the direction they were heading, Natsu was taking her to his house. She dug her heels in and pulled with her full body weight. Natsu stopped, but didn't let go of his hold as he turned to glare at her.

"Natsu let me go! I get it okay! I'm sorry I struck you, but I don't want to see you right now!" She cried and he flinched back as if she had struck him again.

"Why? Why can't you talk to me Lucy?" He hissed and she shook her head, unable to admit the secrets she had been holding in for so long now. He growled at her and lunged suddenly, grabbing her and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Natsu! Put me down! Right! Now!" She shouted as she pounded his back, only causing herself more injury and doing nothing to him. She kicked her feet, but he kept out of the danger zone, striding towards his destination. He fished his keys out and kicked open the door, carrying her through and turning into his kitchen.

"Natsu!" Lucy whisper-shouted.

"You're going to wake up your dad!" She hissed and he grunted as he finally sat her down, sitting her on one of the counters. Lucy stopped fighting him, losing most of the energy she had the minute he let go of her. Natsu stared at her for a few minutes and then went to the cabinet under the sink. He reached in and pulled out a first-aid kit, bringing it back with him and setting it beside her. Then he grabbed one of the kitchen towels and held it under hot water.

He brought the towel back and held it in one hand as he lifted up her right hand in the other. She held her fist closed, keeping her eyes downcast so he couldn't read her. Natsu stared at her lowered head,

"Open your hand Luce. I need to clean the dirt off." He whispered and Lucy slowly unfurled her fingers. He worked in silence, neither knowing what to say at this point. He cleaned her hands and then applied neosporin so they wouldn't get infected. When he began to bandage her hands he finally broke the silence.

"Listen Lucy...What...What you saw back there...Well...I just-"

"I don't want to hear this Natsu…" She whispered and his grip tightened around her wrist as he paused in his ministrations. She knew that she was being petulant, but she couldn't control the way she was feeling. She didn't want to hear him say that he was getting back together with Lisanna because that would make it all true and not some bad dream.

"Lucy look at me." He said as he lifted her chin up, revealing her face. She kept her eyes adverted to the side, knowing that she looked like a complete mess with her ruined make-up and puffy eyes. Natsu frowned as she continued to avoid his eyes. He picked up the wet cloth and wiped her face clean of most of the make-up and tears. His gentle touch was too much for her and she slapped his hand away, turning her face to the side.

"Alright enough!" He hissed, throwing the towel on the floor and grabbing her shoulders.

"Lucy. What you saw didn't mean anything! I don't want you to think-I mean that it wasn't...dammit! Luce please...Just...don't turn away from me again." He begged and she finally lifted her eyes to meet his. His green eyes were imploring her not to run. And even though every fiber of her was begging her to do so, she stayed still.

"Lucy. I know that I messed up tonight. This wasn't how I wanted things to go. I always thought that we...that we shared something. But when Lisanna came back I-"

"Natsu don't." She pleaded and tried to push off the counter, but he placed his hands on the counter, trapping her in place.

"No. I need you to hear this. When Lisanna came back things became even more confusing. She wanted to pick up where we left off, and at first I thought we could. But it's not possible, not when I don't feel the same way I did then. What you saw was a last attempt to live a lie. I thought that I was imagining things and that Lisanna was what I wanted...but…" He stopped and lowered his head, he growled and his arms moved so that they were wrapped around her waist.

He was hugging her and had his head resting in her lap. Lucy blushed and held her hands in the air, unsure of what was happening. Her heart was racing like a turbo engine and she was trying to not imagine this as something else...but it _did_ sound like Natsu was confessing to her. His voice brought her back to reality as he held her tightly.

"But then I saw you...I saw you and the look on your face destroyed me. I realized in that moment that it wasn't right and that I couldn't pretend to live in the past anymore. That's why I ran after you and tried to explain what had happened." He lifted his head and Lucy sucked in a sharp breath as his nose was almost touching hers. His eyes piercing through her and filling her with so much hope.

"Lucy. I'm hopelessly in love with you. I have been for awhile, but I denied it. I didn't want to ruin what we had by chancing something more. So I forced these emotions back and tried to find solace with someone else. It wasn't fair to either you or Lisanna and I know that I'm a piece of shit for it. But...but please...please tell me that there's still a chance." He said, reaching up and cupping her cheeks. She hadn't even realized she was crying again until he wiped the water away with his thumbs.

"Luce. Tell me that you'll give me a chance to do the right thing. To make up to you all the pain I've caused you tonight." He whispered, leaning closer to her as he held her face.

"Luce...Tell me…" He whispered, his warm breath brushing against her lips, making her shiver. She reached up tentatively and grabbed fistfulls of his shirt. She saw him swallow nervously as she lifted her eyes to his, seeing the fear swim through their depths.

"Natsu...you're a moron." She whispered and he released the breath he had been holding and chuckled.

"Maybe. But I'll try to get better." He said and she smiled for the first time since he found her. She lifted her hand up to cup the cheek she had struck and he flinched.

"Sorry...I shouldn't have-"

"No. I deserved it. I won't blame Liz if she takes a few shots too. I think she got the message when I ran after you...god Luce. How did things get like this? So...complicated?"

"We started going to high school." She said and he smiled at that. He stilled as her thigh nudged his side and he realized how close they were. He swallowed again and breathed her name, as he closed the gap between them and kissed her. Lucy gasped, which gave him the opportunity to deepen the kiss. Her eyes fell closed as she exploded from the bliss at finally having Natsu's lips on hers.

He groaned in the back of his throat and pulled her across the counter so that he was settled in between her legs, his hands running down her hips. She moaned softly and ran her tongue along his. The kiss ignited instantly and Natsu's hands grabbed her hips as he leaned her back so that she had to grab his shoulders to stay upright. He pulled back and removed his shirt, reaching for hers when the lights flicked on. The two of them froze as they turned to see Igneel leaning against the doorframe.

"Not that I'm really surprised as I knew this day was coming, but could you maybe move this to your room son. I gotta start getting ready for work now." He said with a grin as he moved past them to the coffee maker. Natsu growled and bent to retrieve his shirt, pulling it on quickly as he glared at his old man. Who was sipping from a cup, his eyes full of mirth as he watched them. Lucy sat frozen, her face of fire as Natsu turned to her.

"Come on Luce. I'll walk you home." He said and helped her off the counter. Igneel waved,

"Always good to see you Lucy. You should come over tomorrow for dinner." He said and Lucy groaned as she practically ran out of the kitchen.

"Oh and Natsu. I don't want any grandkids just yet so please be careful." He added and Natsu flipped his dad off over his shoulder as he joined Lucy in the hallway. He gave an apologetic look and followed her out the door. They walked down the street in silence until they reached her building. Lucy was too mortified to find the words to say and Natsu wasn't offering any either.

"Hey Luce…" He said as they stood outside her apartment. She turned and watched as he rubbed the back of his head.

"About what just happened...did you...I mean do you...shit-" He ran his hand over his face before looking down at her again.

"Do you wanna catch a movie this weekend?" He asked and she blinked before smiling up at him and tilted her head.

"Natsu Dragneel. Did you just ask me out on a date?"

"Yeah...so...do you?"

She jumped up and kissed him quickly before opening her apartment door and giving him a wink.

"You really are a moron." She said as she closed the door behind her. She hugged herself to contain her joy as she leaned back against the door. Her phone beeped and she pulled it out, flipping it open to read the message.

 **Natsu: I'm going to take that as a yes. I'll pick you up on Friday at 7.**

 **Lucy: Sounds good. I'll see you then.**

 **Natsu: Thanks for the goodnight kiss btw ;)**

 **Lucy: Go home you idiot… p.s. your welcome…**

 **Natsu: Just remember that this idiot now belongs to you babe. I love you.**

 **Lucy: I don't know why...but I love you too Natsu.**

 **zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz**

 **Wow that turned out longer than planned, but okay. It did the trick though and cleared away the fog in my brain so hopefully I can get Magic finished and up sometime this month. Sorry for the delay but real life sucks and there are so many things on my checklist that I have to do. I'll try and clear them all up and get the next chapter up for you. Thank you for the patience and until next time, stay awesome my lovelies!**


	8. Valentine Chocolates

Hello my lovelies and Happy Valentines Day! Just know how much I love and appreciate all of you and the support you've given me over the years! So I wanted to do something for the holiday and decided to write two one-shots! The first (here) is a big ball of fluff and the other is some drunken nonsense lol. Oh also I figured out how to record the vids for my AMVs again so yay I'll be able to start on the one I've been dying to do *squee*! Anyways I hope that all of you have an awesome weekend! This is a high school AU!

*All characters belong to Hiro Mashima*

* * *

Lucy sat in class, sighing for the fifth time today. She still hadn't given it to him and time was running out. She glanced at the clock again and frowned as the minutes ticked by. Today was Valentines Day and she had spent all day yesterday making chocolates for her crush. She had finally built up the courage to approach him, but as usual he was surrounded by his groupies.

She felt her pocket vibrate and jumped as she glanced up at the teacher to make sure he hadn't noticed. She slid the phone out inconspicuously and flipped it open to see a new text from her friend Levy.

Hey! Did you give him the chocolates?

Negative...he was surrounded by like 15 other girls that already looked ready to kill each other. I didn't want to get in the middle of that -.-

Lu-chan! You'll never get his attention if u remain 2 shy .!

I know Levy but how do u just walk up to one of the most pop. guys in school and go 'Hi Loke! uve never noticed me but I've been watching u and I really like you!' It just screams stalker and he'll just lump me in with the rest of the crazies T.T

True. But you're still running out of time.

I know...I'll give them to him after school. I know there's that 2 minute window where he's alone at his locker.

OM stalker lol!

.

;) Good luck Lu!

Thanks...I could use all the luck in the world.

* * *

Lucy stood with her back pressed against the lockers, swallowing nervously as she gave herself a quick pep talk. She peeked around the corner to see the back of his orange hair as he put his books away. She had the chocolates in the pocket of her sweater and gave the box a small pat as she mentally kicked herself around the corner.

She walked hesitantly up to him, knowing that her trembles were probably visible. He looked out of the corner of his eyes and saw her coming towards him. He turned his head towards her and pushed up his sunglasses.

"H-Hi...um...you may not know me...b-but…"

"No I know who you are. You're Lucy Heartfillia right?" He asked with a smile as he closed his locker. Her eyes widened as her heart fluttered with joy. He had noticed her!? Among all the girls throwing themselves at him, he had noticed her! She smiled brightly as she nodded and was about to show him the chocolates, her hand wrapping around the box.

"Yeah, you're Natsu's girlfriend. You two are cute together." He said with a smile and her heart shattered. She shook her head and tried to clear things up.

"N-No, Natsu and I...we're just…"

"Yeah he was talking about you in our chem class. He's crazy about you, not that I blame him since you're such a knockout." He grinned and she blushed brightly, shaking her head. He laughed and placed his hand on her head,

"You two are perfect for each other. I know you'll be happy together." He said before waving and walking off, leaving her dumbfounded and glowing red.

* * *

"It was awful Levy-chan!" Lucy whined into her phone later that night as she was slumped over the table in her kitchen. The box of uneaten chocolates sat on the table, taunting her and her rotten luck.

"It wasn't that bad Lu. You just need to find a chance to clear it up with him." Levy offered and Lucy sighed, shaking her head even though she knew that Levy couldn't see her.

"No...If he was so okay with the idea of me dating Natsu I doubt he has any interest. Still...all that work wasted."

"What's wasted Luce?"

"KYAA!" Lucy shouted as she shot up in her seat to see Natsu leaning against the doorframe of her kitchen smiling at her. She glared and gritted her teeth as she hissed into her phone.

"I gotta go Levs...I may need your help later burying a body."

"He's too heavy for the two of us so just beat him up a bit Lu." Levy laughed before hanging up. Lucy flipped her phone closed, still glaring at her best friend. He just grinned at her, not aware that she was slightly blaming him for the disaster today.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to just let yourself into my house." She lectured and he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb.

"I didn't let myself in though. Virgo let me in." He said and Lucy blew air up at her bangs, since that meant she couldn't keep pretending her irritation was because of that. Natsu came into the kitchen and sat next to her, his arm going over the back of her chair as he turned his body to face her, sitting in the chair sideways.

"Are you okay Luce? Sting said you looked upset when you left school today. Are those girls giving you problems again?" He asked and Lucy sighed, shaking her head. Hating that the genuine concern in his voice melted her anger with him. Honestly, why did she even try? She could never stay mad at him for long.

"No. I just...embarrassed myself today and it was horrible." She said and Natsu tilted his head with a lopsided grin.

"Please Luce. It couldn't be as bad as that time in 2nd grade when you-"

"N-G-AH! You vowed never to utter that story again!" She hissed, grabbing his collar and putting her nose up to his. He smiled wider, happy to see the fire replacing the despair in her eyes.

"But you and I know it so-"

"No! Saying it outloud may jinx things." She said and Natsu laughed, holding up his hands in surrender and she released him. He watched her as she slowly began to slump over the table again, the same look as before entering her eyes. He frowned and asked again,

"So what happened?"

"Nothing you would understand...I made these chocolates and-"

"You made chocolate and didn't give me any?" He whined and she giggled while giving him a knowing look.

"You hate sweets."

"True but...if they were from you I'd still like them." He muttered, rubbing the back of his head as he tried to hide the pink tinting his cheeks. Lucy rolled her eyes missing his embarrassment, thinking that he was just being silly.

"Anyways. I made these for a guy I like in school...but I didn't get a chance to give them to him." She said, folding her arms across the table and resting her head on them. So she missed the way Natsu's hands fisted and his jaw clenched.

"So...who was the guy?" He asked carefully, not wanting her to catch the jealousy in his tone. She shrugged, not raising her head. He sighed and ran his hand threw his hair. He looked over at the box sitting in front of them. He reached out and picked it up, turning it around. It was a light blue and tied perfectly with a pink ribbon. His mind betrayed him with an image of Lucy smiling as she held the box up to him.

He looked down at she sat up and leaned back, stretching slightly. He turned his eyes away from the sliver of skin revealed as her shirt rode up just in time, berating himself. She smiled softly at him before her eyes turned down to the box in his palm.

"I feel so stupid though. I spent all last night trying my hand at making chocolate and those were the best ones." She said with a half-hearted chuckle. She stood up and moved to the fridge, opening it and pulling out orange juice for her and a pepsi for Natsu, knowing he would want one without him needing to ask.

"I guess it's a good thing he didn't take them anyways. I'm not that good at baking. They probably don't taste right anyways." She joked, trying to ease the pain in her chest by making light of it. He knew what she was doing, she had done this on more occasions than he could count. Whenever her father worked late and missed one of her dance recitals or her birthdays...she would make a joke of it and laugh it off.

Natsu knew better though. He had been by her side for as long as he could remember and was able to see when she was really hurting. This was one of those times and he wished he knew which jerk it was so he could punch him in the face. Instead he did what he knew best. Just as he always did.

Whether it was at those recitals when he would bring her the biggest bouquet of pink roses, her favorite, lighting up her face as she saw him waiting for her. Or organizing a small surprise party for her and making sure that the smile never left her face. No matter what the occasion was or what was hurting her, Natsu would be there for her. He was going to cheer his girl up.

So he reached up and untied the ribbon, opening the box. He looked in to see perfect spheres staring back at him. He picked one up and glanced at Lucy's back as she poured her juice into a glass. He popped it into his mouth and tried to hide his grimace as quickly as it came. She was right about them not being great, but he continued to eat the chocolate anyways. He already wasn't a fan of sweets and this certainly wasn't going to sway him. Still...for Lucy.

He picked up another one and popped it into his mouth. He was now so focused on eating the chocolate that he didn't notice Lucy had glanced over to see what he was doing. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was agape as she watched him force himself to eat all the chocolate. She knew how he loathed sweets and she could see the subtle squint in his eyes as he pushed the fifth piece into his mouth and chewed carefully.

He breathed deeply as he picked up the last one and eyed it like it was taunting him. He threw it into his mouth and coughed before he could catch it, but he didn't spit out the sweet. He chewed it carefully and finally swallowed, blowing out his breath in relief. Lucy smiled as he looked up at her and grinned, although she could see the way he had to force it.

"You're crazy Luce. These are-ERP- excuse me...great. Who knows...maybe I'll t-take up sweets if y-you make them." He said and she laughed as she brought him his soda. He took it gratefully and chugged half of it. She rested her chin on her folded hands as she watched her best friend try to clear away the lingering taste. She could never tell him just how much she appreciated having him in her life.

"Well if you liked them so much I could make more?"

"No! I-I mean...No I'm okay for now." He recovered and grinned, making her laugh as it was obvious how much he had hated those chocolates. She laughed and the sound of it made him smile in turn. He finished off his soda and stood up from the table, holding out his hand to her.

"Come on Luce. Let's go have some fun." He said and she took his hand, nodding in agreement. She followed behind him, glancing back once at the now empty box of chocolates then back to the boy leading her to the living room. She smiled as her heart was lifted by his presence, she was so lucky to have someone who cared about her as he did.

'He was talking about you in our chem class. He's crazy about you…' She blushed as the words flashed through her mind and her heart fluttered. She pulled back on his hand and he stopped, looking down at her in confusion. She hid her embarrassment the best she could as she muttered.

"Um...thanks Natsu...for...for everything."

"Sure Luce. Anything you need...whenever you need me. I'll be there for you." He said with his usual grin. Then he jumped as if he remembered something. He let go of her hand and reached into the pocket of his cargo shorts.

Lucy watched as his cheeks turned pink again as he pulled a small box out of his pocket. Her eyes widened and she looked up at him in confusion as he scratched the back of his head.

"I didn't see you much today so I didn't get a chance to give it to you at school. But I guess it's better that I didn't since you were having a bad day...um...H-Happy Valentines Day Luce." He said with a nervous smile as he handed the gift over. Lucy took the box and opened it with a soft gasp. She smiled as she pulled out a very familiar charm bracelet.

"You got the clasp fixed...When did you-"

"I snuck it out while you were sleeping the other night. I added a few new charms to it too." He said and she could see that a cat-symbolizing the kitten they had adopted together-Happy-and a a star. They had watched the meteor shower last week, Natsu making sure that she stayed awake long enough to see it and make a wish. Of course she had promptly fallen asleep on his shoulder right after and he had been forced to carry her up the stairs to her bed. But he hadn't complained about it, just happy that she had made it through the night like she wanted.

"Thank you Natsu...but...but I didn't get you anything." She said as she suddenly remembered that she had been so focused on her gift for Loke that she had forgotten to get something for Natsu. He shrugged, his grin once more present and bright.

"Don't worry about it Luce. You know I don't care much about that stuff. This was something I wanted to do for a while. I knew how upset you were that it broke and thought it would be a neat surprise." He said and she smiled up at him as her heart filled with a strange warmth. Still she felt that she owed him something. He was always finding ways to make her smile and to chase away whatever was clouding her mind. So she wanted to do something for him to...but what?

'He's crazy about you…' She blushed as she looked up at her grinning friend and bit her lip nervously.

"H-Hey Natsu...C-Can you do me one more favor?" She whispered and he frowned at her quiet tone, but nodded anyways. She swallowed and hid her expression under her bangs.

"Can...Can you close your eyes for a second?" She asked and although his brow rose in bewilderment, he complied and closed his eyes as he slid his hands into his pockets. Lucy took a deep breath and lifted herself up quickly. It was the briefest touch, not even lasting three seconds. But to Natsu...the instant her soft lips grazed his, the world stopped turning. His eyes flew open to see her already pulling back, her face glowing red.

She turned from him and whispered,

"Happy Valentines Day Natsu." Before turning and taking off up the stairs to hide her embarrassment once more. Natsu fell back a step as he placed his hand over his thumping heart, afraid that the organ would give out at any second. But his face broke out into a wide grin as his mind caught up with what had happened.

"She...she kissed me!" He whisper-shouted as he looked to where she had disappeared. His grin doubled as he laced his hands behind his head and chuckled.

"Guess there's still hope for us huh?" He asked, knowing that she was eavesdropping around the corner. He looked back to see her pink head and blue eyes lean around the corner as she smiled at him.

"That's what I'm betting on Master Natsu." Virgo said, making Natsu laugh as he looked after Lucy once more.

"Just wait Luce...one day you'll see just how much I really love you."


	9. Updates

**I just realized that some of my readers are only following this and I want as many ppl to know about this as possible.**

 **Hello my lovelies! I have some big news. So, you may or may not know that I started writing again in july of 2014. That means that in July 2016 I will have been writing for a whole two years for all of you amazing people. It may not seem like a lot, but considering that I hadn't written consistently like that in nearly five years before and once more it was the FIRST time I was brave enough to post my writing online for someone to read. So I've been wanting to do something interesting for my anniversary and I have a new project I want to give a crack at.**

 **I have several plans for July, including-Some more fluffy one-shots for Nalu and a special 'once in a lifetime' for my older readers that enjoyed my 'Mending Series' and 'Love or Power' but that's a secret for now and I'll leave you with that teaser. The really big project I want to get out is something for my youtube channel. Some of you may have looked up the few pmvs I made in the past. And I want to make new amvs but I need to find a critical piece of my hardware that might have gotten lost in my move .**

 **So the big project I want to do is a new segment called "Let's Ask the Puffin." In which you can send me ANY questions you may want to know. It can be anything and everything from opinions to personal info. Just be aware that I have the right to refuse to answer a question (basically behave people lol) but other than that all's fair in love right? So if you have something you want to know feel free to send it to me one of four ways:**

 **PM me on this site with your question.**

 **Leave the question here as a review.**

 **Email it to me at atomicpuffin9151 (gmail)**

 **Or you can ask me your question through Tumblr ()**

 **I hope to get a response from my lovely readers and that you feel an inkling of excitement at one of the announcements here. Don't be shy because I'm not so don't worry about offending me or anything silly like that, I'm a pretty mellow person lol. Be sure to send any questions you have because if I don't get any I'll scrap the idea after all. I hope to hear what you all think and that I can go ahead with this project, I'm strangely really excited about it and want to do it as long as it lasts. Basically as long as the questions keep on coming I'll keep making videos. If I get enough before July I'll try and put the video out sooner so we'll see! Until next time, stay awesome my lovelies!**


	10. Update 2- my brain hurts

**Hello my lovelies! I feel strange...it's hard to explain, but I think that the latest chapter for Magic took more out of me than it should have. I am seriously considering what some of you said...I need to shorten my chapters so they don't take so much energy to construct. At least that's the plan. Also I need to point out something...I really appreciated all the support that came with the last chapter in response to my A/N, but I think there was some confusion about what I meant. I didn't mean that I was planning to stop writing fanfiction or Magic. I've had everything planned out for that story since day one so it was never in danger. I was referring to my original works that are posted outside of fanfiction. I'm sorry to have worried all of you, but rest easier knowing I'm here to stay. It was just a strange mood I was in and hits from time to time. Something that I'm working on, but still struggle with (You'll know more when I get the time to work on Ask the Puffin since it was a Q asked.)**

 **Anyways, sorry to worry you if I did it was not my intention. So please continue to be awesome and follow my work. You all made me feel better and pointed out that reviews are not what I should be focused on and you were right. The fact that you are reading my stuff and following it means so much to me. So next time, feel free to ignore my ramblings if you wish lol.**

 **I will be taking a short break for those that weren't aware. I need to give my brain time to reboot after a difficult chapter so I will instead be working on my other projects. I.e. these one-shots, Strawberry &Love's Game, and Ask the Puffin. The last one is frustrating because I have questions ready to go, but I need time to record myself. Which means quiet -.- and that's almost non existent in my daily life.**

 **I'm hoping that I can coax my brain out from under the bed soon as this writing rut is starting to frustrate me. I think that my brain is refusing to focus on anything outside of Magic so I may have to suck it up and start on the next chapter...We'll see where this goes. Until next time, stay awesome my lovelies.**


	11. Knowing You

**Hello my lovelies. I'm still feeling a bit weird right now, my brain isn't fully recovered and I'm having a bit of a block problem. I know what I want to write, but when I sit down to do so my brain freezes up and refuses to go to work. I need a remote for this thing. So I'm going to take it slow right now and just put out a couple one-shots while I try to coax my brain back to working. It's just a bit hard to keep my energy sometimes with work and other stuff getting in my way, but I will try and do better. So this one-shot is for everyone 'K' and just a silly idea I got the other day. I figure some goofy random drabble might be what my brain needs to relax and focus once more.**

 **So this is a song-fic with my favorite ship once more (gee shocker right) I plan on others for the other pairs, but now that I can I want to make AMVs for those. I want to do one for this too actually and I think I will lol. As a test of my new equipment, hmm….**

 **Anyways the song is 'Knowing You' by Joaftheloaf and Megaphoric on Youtube. Please look them up and listen to this song before reading. Or my suggestion is to have it playing alongside the words because it adds something. But I am going to insist that you show your support to his channel (Joaftheloaf) because he is an amazing artist that has so many songs I love, this just happens to fit the pair perfectly!**

 **The singing will be in italics when just one is singing and bold/italic when both are. Please enjoy and let me know what you thought.**

 ***All characters are owned by Hiro Mashima***

* * *

"I can't believe you set the building on fire!" Lucy shouted once more as she sat huddled under a blanket, watching the fire being put out by Gray and other magic users. Natsu frowned and crossed his arms.

"I didn't mean to. That idiot was about to attack you! What did you expect me to do?" He grumbled and Lucy rolled her eyes. She stood up with the blanket still wrapped around her as she gave her partner a stern look.

"How about having a little faith in me Natsu?" She bit out before storming off to stand with Erza who was explaining to the authorities what had happened. So much for a simple apprehension job. The flyer hadn't mentioned that the guy was a mage, so they had been blind-sided. But he hadn't been that strong so there hadn't been a need to react the way Natsu did.

Natsu watched Lucy walk away angry with him, but he didn't understand why. He had been protecting her. It wasn't a lack of faith in her strength, it was just that he had reacted on instinct. Geez, Luce was such a weirdo and had a short fuse somedays. He sighed and scratched the back of his head. He turned when he heard a deep chuckle behind him. There was some old guy spectating like many other townsfolk, but his attention was on Lucy and not the fire.

"You're pretty friend sure seemed upset with you." He said and Natsu shrugged, crossing his arms behind his head.

"Nah. Luce will cool off as soon as we head out again." He said with confidence and the old guy laughed again, leaning his hands on his cane as he looked up at Natsu through one eye.

"Ah, to be young and in love again."

Natsu jumped and made a weird face at the old guy.

"I'm not-"

"Denial will get you nowhere with that one boy. What you need is a boost in confidence." The guy said with a sly grin as he looked at the rest of the team. At this point Natsu felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as his instincts set off warning bells.

"Hey gramps. What exactly do you think you're-" Natsu didn't get to finish as the guy lifted up his finger and swiped it through the air. Natsu looked down as a magic circle appeared under him, encasing him in a red glow. His pupils shrunk as he heard several shouts and looked over to see Lucy was also encased in the red glow. Natsu tried to run after his best friend, but he was glued to ground under him.

"Natsu! Lucy!" Happy yelled from above them as he noticed his team's distress. Natsu held up his hand to stop the exceed from coming any closer.

"Don't Happy! Stay away from it!"

Natsu swung his head to growl at the man casting the spell. The old guy was still smiling as he watched Natsu.

"Don't worry kid. This won't hurt, unless you want to count your pride." He laughed as the spell finished and the light finally faded. They all fell to their knees, feeling exhausted. Natsu turned to attack the man, but found he had disappeared. He growled as he scanned the crowd and tried to pick up a scent, but it was gone.

"Natsu!" He turned to see his friends running towards him and Happy flew into his chest, the poor cat's eyes were overflowing with tears. Natsu patted his buddy in reassurance as he looked at his friends.

"Are you okay?" He asked and Lucy and she nodded, Erza scanned the crowd.

"What happened?"

"Some old guy cast a spell, but I don't know why or where he went." Natsu growled and Lucy rubbed her arms worried about what it could mean. Erza sighed and shook out her red hair.

"Well. The best thing for us is to head back to the guild and see if Master or one of the others can figure out what he did."

* * *

Master Makarov sent for Porlyusica the minute he got word from Erza about this mystery spell. The healer examined the pair and the entire guild waited on edge as they worried for their fellow nakama. Finally the woman emerged from the infirmary, the two affected wizards behind her.

"Well? What happened to them?" Makarov asked and Porlyusica shot him a glare.

"There is nothing wrong with them physically or magically. Whatever that old mage did I don't think it is life threatening. You'll just have to monitor them and send for me if something changes." She said and walked out, leaving behind a stunned guild.

"So...What should we do master?" Mira asked and Makarov rubbed his chin in thought.

"I suppose they will have to stay here until we can be absolutely positive that nothing is wrong."

"Psh. You guys are all worried for nothing. I feel great! Come on Erza! Fight me and let me show you that nothing's wrong!" Natsu laughed and Erza knocked him on the head once to calm him down. He growled and rubbed the spot as he walked away.

"I think it would be best if you avoid using your magic too much. Porlyusica may not have found any irregularities, but I want to be sure." She said while folding her arms as Gray and Lucy nodded in agreement. Natsu started pouting as he slumped into a chair.

"What's the point of getting the all clear if I can't go all out?" He muttered and Lucy rolled her eyes as she sat next to him.

"Natsu we just-" She stopped mid-sentence and Natsu looked down at her curiously. Then his confusion melted into worry. Her pupils had dilated and she was breathing weird as she stared up at Natsu.

"Lucy are you okay?" He asked as he noticed her heart was beating faster than before, almost like she had just come in from a run. Then the strangest thing happened-Music began to play through the guild. Natsu looked around to make sure he wasn't imagining things, but noticed that everyone else was looking around to find the source. He jumped when he felt his hand being lifted between two softer, smaller ones. He glanced back down at Lucy as she continued to stare at him with a blush crossing over her cheeks. What happened next was just about the strangest to happen to the guild to date.

 _There were times that I felt alone_

 _That nobody cared, that nobody loved me._

 _But my heart played a different tone._

 _I let you in, when you heard its melody._

 _Though broken and crippled and faint._

 _You made it strong, you saw its beauty._

 _And suddenly with no restrain_

 _I sang a bit more._

 _Knowing you has set me free._

 _Your truth, it has changed me and helped me to grow._

 _Your loyalty broke down my heart made of stone._

 _Your smile it fills my soul with glee._

 _Nothing will break me cause I found a friend in you~_

 _And you found the magic in me~_

Her voice washed over him like a drug and he felt a strange sensation fill him as well. He laced his fingers with hers as his mouth moved of its own accord.

 _There were times when I felt alone._

 _Though there was a crowd, strangers were many._

 _But my ears heard a familiar sound._

 _The song of a girl who sang my melody._

 _Her song held a mirror to my heart, the feelings we shared._

 _So overwhelming._

 _Afraid and so seemingly lost._

 _I took her in and knowing you has set me free~._

 _Your generous ways have made me strong._

 _Your kindness has torn down the walls with its song._

 _They say love is magic and now I can see._

 _Nothing can break me now I found a friend in you~_

 _And you found the magic in me._

 ** _Lucy_** \- _I've spread my wings_

 _ **Natsu**_ \- _I've found my voice_

 _ **Lucy**_ \- _Never knew of this feeling_

 _ **Natsu**_ \- _Never knew I had a choice._

 _ **This bond we share is harmony.**_

 _ **Nothing can hurt me now I've found a friend in you...**_

 _ **And you found the magic in me.**_

The music played on as Natsu released Lucy's hands and cupped her cheeks instead as she placed her hands flat on his chest. The entire guild was stunned watching the pair. Their voices mixing perfectly as one. It was as if their heart were being shown to the world and each other.

 ** _Your friendship has changed me and helped me to grow._**

 ** _Though trying at first my love began to flow._**

 ** _Let's tear down the walls where ever we go._**

 ** _Nothing can break me now I've found a friend in you_**

 _ **Natsu**_ \- _And you found the magic_

 _ **Lucy**_ \- _Yes you found the magic_

 _ **Natsu**_ \- _No you found the magic_

 _ **You found the magic in me~**_

The music faded and the two returned to normal as their eyes refocused. Natsu blinked as he looked down into Lucy's brown eyes. He had been aware of what he was saying while he sang with her and...in a strange turn...He found it was exactly how he felt about his blonde partner. He saw the confusion and recognition he felt reflecting in her gaze as they couldn't turn away.

"What the hell was that!?" Someone shouted and it was all it took to break the spell. Lucy and Natsu pulled away from each other, shaking their heads to clear the fog that had surrounded them. They looked at their stunned guild mates then back at each other. Lucy's cheeks flamed up as she jumped up from the table and took off across the hall. Erza and Levy quickly followed after her to make sure she was okay.

Natsu just continued to sit there stunned as he came to grips with what had happened as well. He drowned out the buzzing of the guild as many laughed it off as a just one of those things that happen. Like when Lucy turned invisible...but for Natsu this was nothing like those other times. Before he had simply continued on as if nothing had happened. Could he do that this time?

After a few minutes the girls came back and Natsu's eyes instantly settled on Lucy. She seemed to have settled down some, even though the blush was still on her cheeks. She came back to their table and sat down. Natsu watched her closely trying to gauge her emotions. She glanced up at him and gave him a weak smile.

"Who-Who knew you could sing so well." She lightly laughed and he instantly relaxed as he returned her smile with his wide grin.

"I guess it's something we both learned today." He laughed and those around them joined in. Natsu watched as Lucy relaxed the rest of the way and returned to her normal self once more. Natsu smiled along with everyone, but there was a new weight in his chest that he couldn't explain. He stood up without anyone noticing and walked to the back of the guild, away from all the noise.

He leaned against a wall with his arms crossed behind his head as he tried to figure everything out.

"See. That wasn't so bad now was it."

Natsu swung around to see the same old man standing behind him. Natsu jumped up in a fighting stance with a growl as his fists lit on fire.

"You. You've got some nerves coming here."

"Oh Natsu. Don't be ridiculous. I live here." The man said with a laugh and Natsu frowned in confusion. The man was encased in a strange gold light that Natsu began to recognize as his fire went out.

"What...Why the hell-"

"To give you two the push you needed." Mira laughed as she watched Natsu stutter and blush. He rubbed the back of his head as he frowned at her.

"What did you do exactly?" He growled and she held up a bottle.

"I slipped this potion to you earlier today. It's called the Heart's Desire. I didn't know that it would turn out like this, but I can't say I'm disappointed." She laughed and Natsu crossed his arms.

"Then why the disguise?"

"I wanted to make sure you two would remain where I could see. I didn't want to miss a single moment. The potion is supposed to allow the two that drank it to sing out their heart's desire. I didn't know they meant that literally. You two are fine now that the potion did its job."

"You need to stop interfering with people Mira." He growled and moved past her. She giggled and stopped him as they reentered the guild hall.

"Natsu. I'm sorry for tricking you. But...are you really mad that I helped you recognize your feelings?" She asked and he frowned. He looked out over the hall to where the blonde was sitting, laughing with their friends. He felt the weight in his chest press deeper and he unconsciously reached up to rub the spot where his heart was. Mira watched and gave him a soft smile.

"At least now you know she feels the same." She giggled and walked away. Natsu frowned and sighed as he looked at his partner. Then his usual grin returned as he rejoined the boisterous crowd.

Things may be different from here on out. But he had to admit that Mira was right. He looked at Lucy and gave her a wide smile that she returned. At least now he knew what he wanted to do. And he wouldn't let anyone stand in his way.

* * *

 **There we are. Just a quick much-ado-bout-nothing. I hope you enjoyed it and will let me know what you thought. I am also going to make an attempt at getting my brain back into gear and on track with my writing schedule. I really want to start on my 'Ask the Puffin' but can't find the time to record and now I think I'm catching a cold boo. Oh well. I have until July so lol. Until next time, stay awesome my lovelies!**


	12. Truth or Dare

**Hello my lovelies! I am working on Magic, but since it still needs some structuring I didn't want to leave you with nothing. I decided to take a short break to write this up to keep you all appeased while you wait. HOWEVER-this one-shot is going to be 'M' for suggestive content-just to be safe so all kids that shouldn't be reading this or people who don't enjoy this sort of thing please leave now….Okay you've been warned.**

 **It is inspiration based on my top fanfiction right now 'Of Myths and Monsters' by storybooksandfairytails, I HIGHLY suggest this one to you guys who are looking for a new read. It's original and written so well. It is rated M so, just be aware. But definitely worth the read for fellow Nalu lovers. Another suggestion I'm shooting out it a recent discovery called 'Heaven Sent' by Kat A. Klysmi, this one is alway original in the story idea and definitely worth a peek.**

 **Anywho, back to this one-shot, it is going to be a holiday theme but has nothing to do with current ones. Honestly it's just gonna be my second favorite holiday lol. This is going to be another party one-shot with an oh so fun drinking game and our favorite characters. Also, I didn't realize how long this was until I finished so I'm warning you now that it's a long read. As always please enjoy and shoot me any suggestions you want to read and I'll see if I can work with it! Until next time, stay awesome my lovelies!**

 ***All characters are owned by Hiro Mashima***

* * *

Fairy tail was hosting a huge contest tonight to celebrate All Hallows Eve! Lucy was extra excited as she got ready for the party, wondering what kind of contest Mira and the master had devised this time. She was also hoping for a prize that either involved either hot springs or rent money.

She turned to inspect herself in the mirror, smiling as she realized that if the contest involved best costume, she definitely had a shot. She had chosen to go a bit more risque in her choice, deciding that it was only her Fairy Tail family that would see anyways and some of them had seen her in less-much to her embarrassment.

She was dressed in her version of a succubus. She had on a dark red bustier with black, lace roses over the front. It was strapless so she would have to periodically check to make sure it didn't slip. But she had made sure it fit tight enough before purchasing it so there wasn't much to worry about. She had sewn on bat wings to the back for added effect. She had on a short, pleated black skirt and thin black stockings to cover her legs. Then she had decided to wear black, high-heeled boots that came up mid-calf.

She picked up the choker collar she had bought for the outfit and clasped it around her neck. It was made to look like leather, but was a softer material so it wouldn't mark her neck. The collar was simple without any designs, but it had a rosary hanging from the center. The rosary was a silver cross with a dark red ruby in the center. The final piece was a headband with two tiny bat wings made to look like she had strange ears on the top of her head.

"Perfect!" She winked at the mirror, striking a pose. There was a knock at her door and she smiled as she grabbed her trench coat, pulling it on to cover her outfit until the 'big reveal' at the party. Who knows, maybe she'd even get _his_ attention.

* * *

The guild was as boisterous as ever and it only made Lucy smile wider as she and Levy walked in together. Levy had dressed as a pixie for tonight. She had on a matching top and skirt. Both were silver with sequins that shined in the light. She had attached a pair of sheer wings to her back and painted different markings on her face, chest and arms with body glitter and paints.

The group of friends had decided that they would coordinate their costumes under one theme. It was decided that 'mythical' creatures would be the category and all had been happy with it. She wondered what the others had decided on as she removed her trench coat and stored it in one of the closets.

She took a deep breath and turned to join the party. She looked around at all the bright colors of costumes as people laughed and drank, waiting for the master to appear. She heard her name being called above the noise and turned to see her best friend waving his arm through the air.

Her eyes widened as she looked over Natsu. He was shirtless so that one could see his costume easily. She smiled at the obvious decision he had made. He was dressed as a dragon. She moved closer and with it she was able to take in the full details of his attire, or lack of it.

His right arm was scaled and his hand had long claws at the end of his fingers. The scales scattered across his chest and up the side of his neck, leaving his left side looking normal. He had long horns curling out the top of his head like a demon and she didn't see a band holding them in place, hoping he hadn't been dumb enough to glue them on. The largest piece of his costume were the dragon wings that were folded so they didn't smack everything he got near. He turned as Gray said something to get his attention and her mouth dropped.

The large leathery wings were _growing_ from his back! There was no harness of straps in sight! Lucy finally reached the group and reached out to touch the wings, screaming in shock when they flinched and Natsu hissed, turning away from her.

"Easy Luce. They're sensitive." He said with a grin and she looked at him in shock.

"They're...real!?" She gasped and he chuckled while scratching his head with his claws. He pointed his 'thumb' at himself and grinned.

"I got the idea from Cana. I asked Freed to cast one of his ruin spells on me. So these are _really_ just a great illusion. They'll be gone once I step outside the guild." He said and she sighed in relief, her smile returning once more. She placed her hands on her hips and gave him a smirk.

"Well, just because you have a realistic costume, don't think it means you'll win whatever the contest is." She said and Natsu laughed as he glanced over her costume, taking in the details. She waited with bated breath for his response, hoping that he would voice _some_ sort of appreciation.

"Looks good Luce, but I'm all fired up for whatever Gramps has planned for us." He said with his usual grin before turning to pay attention to the others in their group. Lucy sighed and gave him a slight glare before schooling her features. What else could she expect from the densest man she had ever met. She looked at the rest of the group and her good mood instantly returned as she moved to join them.

Levy was now sitting next to Gajeel who was wearing very formal clothes that fit him nicely. His dress shirt was blood red and the black vest covering his chest only molded the muscles underneath. His wild hair had been tamed and pulled back to be tied with a black ribbon. His naturally red eyes made his costume almost as real looking as Natsu's. The only thing he'd had to change was a quick potion that made his already long fangs slightly longer so he really looked like a vampire.

Juvia was next to him and looked radiant tonight. The rain woman had chosen a creature close to her heart. She was a siren. Juvia had on a shimmery, aqua top that stopped above her stomach leaving the smooth, white skin bare. The matching skirt flowed out over her thighs before tightening at her ankles and flaring along the floor, giving the illusion of a scaled tail. She had left her long tresses to flow freely, curling naturally as she had placed a large clip on the left side of her head. A circle of bright seashells with a smooth, pink pearl sitting at the center. Lucy was happy to see that the woman's outfit was having the desired effect on the ice mage across from her.

Gray had decided to go the same route as Juvia and choose a costume that revolved around his element. He was half-naked (no real surprise) and the upper half of him was dusted with ice crystals, no doubt his own. They swirled across his chest and arms to make him look like he was a walking snow storm. He was supposed to be an ice spirit or demon if Lucy remembered right.

Finally Erza was in one of her many outfits. She had on a pure white dress, almost like a wedding dress; and the girls had a feeling that was what this was. He long red hair was pulled up in a half-bun with loose strands brushing the tops of her shoulders. Like Levy she had a pair of wings on her back, but they were much larger and glittered brightly under the lights. She also had a silver band on the top of her head that glowed nicely against her stark red hair. She had chosen a fairy not only to go along with their costumes, but also because she wanted to represent the symbol of their guild. And really, no one would attest to Titania dressing as her namesake.

Lucy laughed as she watched Gray and Natsu fight over who had the better costume. She couldn't stop her eyes from roving over Natsu's exposed body or the way his toned muscles flexed. She felt a slight blush developing, but hoped everyone would blame the alcohol she was drinking.

"So does anyone have a clue as to what this contest is about?" Levy asked and everyone shook their heads. Just then the lights dimmed in the hall so that the stage was illuminated and drew everyone's gaze to it. Standing in the center was Mira, dressed in a simple barmaid's outfit. She smiled brightly at everyone and held out her hands.

"Welcome everyone. Are you having a good time?" She asked and the guild filled with shouts and cheers. Mira chuckled and continued,

"As all of you know, tonight is extra special because the master has decided to hold a special contest. I'll let him elaborate on the contents of this contest." She said and held her hand out so that everyone turned their attention to the man standing beside her. Master Makarov grinned brightly at his children and laughed.

"I think it's time the guild got to know each other a bit better and decided that this was the best way to do it!" He laughed and several murmurs went up through the guild.

"I'm not sure I like the sound of this." Gray muttered and Lucy nodded her head in agreement. But she focused on what the master was saying as he further explained.

"So Mira and myself developed the rules for this little game. It's time Fairy Tail held its first ever Truth or Dare Competition!" He said and the guild went dead silent, the shivers almost visible as everyone exchanged glances. Makarov noticed how nervous everyone had grown and smiled.

"I thought there would be some hesitation in this. So that's why I also decided to give away three prizes to the top winners of this contest. The prizes will be kept a secret until the very end. Participants are voluntary and anyone is free to join. Once we have our contestants on the stage Mira will explain the rules further." He said and the guild filled with more murmurs as people decided if it was worth entering. Lucy had just decided to sit this one out after all when a hand grabbed her upper arm and pulled her out of her seat. She shouted as Natsu practically dragged her towards the stage.

"H-Hold on Natsu! I don't think I'm going to-"

"Ah come on Luce! It will be great! Gray and Juvia are participating and I really want to beat the ice prick!" He said and she ground her heels into the floor, finally getting his attention so that he stopped. She shook her head violently before giving him a smile once more.

"Then you go ahead. I'll stay here and cheer you on." She said and was surprised when he pouted, giving her his best pleading look. One that she had a hard time looking away from...or refusing.

"But Lushe~ It won't be fun if you're not there." He pouted cutely and she blushed faintly at his words. She knew that she would only regret this, but whispered,

"Fine."

"Alright! Come on!" He said pulling her after him again. She smiled and giggled at his enthusiasm. The two walked up onstage to join the other brave souls that had decided to participate. So far her, Natsu, Gray, Juvia, Gajeel, Levy (probably in the same boat as Lucy, having been dragged), Erza, Lisanna and Cana.

Lucy looked to Lisanna who was dressed similar to her sister and Cana who was wearing a belly dancer costume. It reminded Lucy of Libra's outfit with the veil and gold bangles on Cana's wrists and ankles. She waved to them and mouthed 'good luck'. They both held up their thumbs and winked in response, making Lucy smile wider.

Mira came back up to the microphone and got everyone's attention once more. Lucy was surprised to see that she had been joined by Freed now. Mira held her hand out towards them with a bright smile.

"It seems we have our brave contenders for the night-" She paused to allow the cheering to settle down. When she wouldn't have to struggle to be heard again she continued. As she did Lucy noticed that stools had been set up for them to sit on so she sat on hers, looking over to Natsu at her side. He was grinning brightly, clearly excited for this. She shook her head, wondering if he even knew how this game was played normally.

"Now for the rules of this game. With the help of our dear Freed, we've ensured that it will be a fair game and that no one will be able to cheat." She said giving Freed a bright smile that made him blush. She continued explaining as Freed moved to the participants, handing each a wristband and helping them attach them.

"The bands you see being placed on each person have been enchanted to alert us if the person lies while being asked a question. If you lie on a truth question you'll get a strike, three and you're out. You can also earn strikes by refusing a dare. Last one standing is our winner.

"Now for how the questions will be asked. Each person will go in order of where they're sitting-" Lucy groaned as that meant she would be first each round as she was sitting at the end closest to Mira.

"The person then chooses Truth or Dare before we decide who asks/challenges the contestant. The person who gets to ask will be decided randomly by pulling a name out of this bowl…" She said indicating a large glass bowl sitting next to her on a stool.

"We've already taken the liberty of placing everyone's name in here. The final rule is that you can not dare someone to do something that could cause them physical harm. Also no challenges that involve stripping. If you even attempt such a thing _**you** _ will be punished by Freed's runes. Also the obvious-no daring someone to answer a truth question So does everyone understand the rules?" She asked and everyone shouted in agreement, some of the contenders feeling relieved that the pervs here couldn't force them into compromising positions.

"Alright then let's begin with our first entrant." Mira said, smiling back as Lucy stood from her stool and waved, feeling so nervous it was a miracle she wasn't shaking.

"So Lucy. Which will it be? Truth or Dare?" Mira asked and Lucy brought her hand up to cover her mouth as she frowned in thought. She glanced at the bowl and figured that no matter who Mira pulled, there was a chance that they would ask the same question...and that was one she wanted to avoid for now. She didn't want an 'X' right out the gate.

"Dare." She said bravely and the crowd cheered. Mira nodded and reached into the bowl full of scraps, twisting her hand around before finally pulling out a thin strip. Lucy felt her heart pounding as Mira straightened the piece and read the name aloud.

"Macao." She said, then looked out as a spotlight lit up the man sitting at a table with a drink halfway to his mouth. He looked up surprised and gaped at them. Mira laughed,

"Well Macao? What do you have for our dear Lucy?" She asked and the man looked at a lost as he tried to think of something on the spot, blushing as suggestions and shouts were called out around him. Even Lucy giggled behind her hand at the man's discomfort. She wasn't sure who was under more pressure at this point, him or her.

"Uh-Um...How about we have Lucy sing us a song?" He asked and the guild laughed as Lucy sighed in relief. She had gotten off lucky that Macao had been unprepared for this. She took the microphone from Mira and sang a quick little melody that she knew by heart. Some were surprised to hear that she had a decent voice. Only one pinkette was grinning knowingly as he had often listened in when she sang in the shower. When she was done her guildmates cheered and clapped as she retook her seat, high fiving Natsu on her way as he stood up next.

"Alright Natsu Truth or-"

"Dare. I'm fired up now." He said and Mira rolled her eyes.

"What a surprise." She muttered and the hall laughed as she pulled out the strip with his challenger's name.

"Lisanna." She said and everyone looked over confused. Mira laughed and explained,

"I _did_ say everyone's name was in here. That includes those participating. If by some miracle I pull your name on your turn, you get a free pass." She said and then turned to her little sister expectantly. Lisanna tapped her chin in thought and then grinned.

"I dare Natsu to go the rest of the game without saying the phrase 'Fired up'." She laughed as did everyone else. Mira explained how that would work.

"That means that although he doesn't have to do anything now. If he says those words even when it's not his turn he'll get a strike." She said and Natsu made a 'tsk' sound slumping down in his stool once more. Lucy smiled over at him as he grumbled,

"I wanted to fight someone."

She laughed and whispered,

"That would be against the rules anyways...So I don't think you'll get to tonight." She said and he pouted once more, making her laugh lightly.

"Alright Juvia, which will it be?"

"Um...Juvia chooses truth." The water maiden said.

"Oh! Our first question yay! Ok and the lucky person is...Kinana."

"Besides Gray, who do you think is the hottest guy you've met?" The waitress asked, not even pausing in her serving. All eyes turned to the blushing woman as she glanced over to Gray who was pretending that he wasn't grinding his teeth.

"Juvia supposes...that she would have to say...Lyon-san." She whispered, but the microphone still caught her words and the guild applauded her, making her blush. Someone shouted,

"At least we know that you are keeping your options open!" And people laughed as Juvia covered her flaming cheeks and Gray growled as he stood up to take his turn.

"Dare." He said.

"Your dare will be decided by...Alzack." She said and the couple sitting together dressed as a bride and groom were placed under the spotlight. The man frowned, but his wife leaned over and whispered something in his ear that made him grin.

"You have to let Juvia sit in your lap until the end of the round." He said and the guild was filled with cheers and whistles and Gray grimaced, not having to turn around to know that Juvia was near fainting. He was about to refuse when he hurt the hothead snicker behind him. He'd be damned if he got a strike before that idiot.

"Fine." He groaned and the whole guild almost collapsed from shock. None more so that the bluenette who was frozen in her seat. Gray resumed his spot and looked at her expectantly, but she just had a far-off look. He rolled his eyes and grabbed her wrists, pulling her to him so that he could lift her and drape her sideways across his lap. The guild went wild as Juvia gasped and looked up at Gray.

"J-Juvia didn't imagine that!?" She asked and Gray groaned again as the guild laughed harder. Mira shook her head and got them moving again as Gray readjusted them so that Juvia wouldn't slide off. Next up was Levy.

"Truth."

"Evergreen."

"Who do you think is the fairest of them all in our guild?" The busty brunette asked and Levy rolled her eyes, but thought the question over seriously.

"As far as just looks go...I guess I would have to say Mira. She is the one who models more than any of us."

"Aww~ Thank you Levy...Ever sit down." Mira turned her dark glare on the woman as she started to protest. Natsu leaned closer to whisper to Lucy.

" _Now_ I'm really glad you're here. It's so boring." He said and Lucy shushed him, saying that once people relaxed it may get worse. After all, the crowd was trying to ask questions and issue dares that would eliminate the participants.

"Gajeel, Truth or Dare?"

"Dare. Can't let these morons make me look bad." He said and Natsu and Gray shouted indignantly. Although for Gray it was bad because he almost dropped Juvia and she had to cling to him tighter to avoid landing on the floor.

"Oh~ Well isn't this interesting. Levy, looks like you'll be his tormentor." Mira laughed and the tiny woman looked up at the iron dragon and hummed in thought. Then she gave him an overly sweet smile and said,

"Sorry Gajeel, but this is a contest and since it's your fault I'm here in the first place...I dare you to cut your hair." She said and Gajeel reeled back, glaring at her as he hissed.

"Oi shrimp. Why are you blaming me when you're the one who dragged me up here?"

"I-I did no such thing! Are you going to accept the dare or not!?" Levy argued back and Gajeel growled as he shook his hair.

"Not a chance." He said answered and a buzzing sound rang through the hall and a red 'X' appeared over Gajeel's head.

"Looks like Gajeel is our first contender to earn a strike." She said as the iron dragon went back to his stool and glared at the woman next to him.

"You know I've said I'll never cut my hair shorter than it is." He growled and she batted her lashes innocently.

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Mmhmm...I'll get you back shrimp, just wait."

"Moving right along. Erza?"

"Dare. I accept any challenge presented to me." The warrior said with confidence. Mira reached in to pull out the name and everyone was silently praying that they _weren't_ picked.

"Max." Mira said and as the light revealed the pale shivering man, many prayers were sent his way. He swallowed,

"Um...You have to...sing for us!" He shouted, repeating the dare from before, thinking that it would be no big deal. Only Team Natsu hid their laughs as the redhead froze the minute the microphone was placed in her hands. She stood frozen and turned a shade of blue as she stopped breathing. A buzzing sound promptly went off and she also got an 'X' above her.

"Oh crap…" Max whispered and tried to slink out of sight as Erza's head dropped and she took her seat.

"Bad luck Erza, but the game's not over yet. Now if my baby sister would come up."

"Truth." Lisanna said with an easy smile and Mira read off the name.

"Laxus." She turned looked out towards the blonde that was sitting at the bar, hoping for some solitude, he frowned in thought. Then his eyes subtly drifted to his teammate and he ignored the slashing motion the man made with his finger.

"Would you go out on a date with someone in the guild if he _finally_ grew a pair and asked you?" He asked. Lisanna blushed brightly and stammered,

"Um...well...Since that's such an abstract question...I-I suppose I'd have to say yes." She said and Laxus smirked.

"See I told you to just man up and ask B-" A mug flew from an unseen source and slap the man upside the head. He turned and growled, but chose not to react past that. Mira cleared her throat.

"Anyways~ Cana, you'll be finishing up the first round for us. So what will it be?"

"Dare." She said and Mira pulled out the paper and laughed causing everyone to look at her funny.

"Mira." She giggled and sent Cana a knowing smirk. Cana actually started to sweat as the she-devil grinned at her. If there was one person who knew her weakness it was-

"You're not allowed to drink alcohol for-"

"Nope." Cana interjected, crossing her arms and the buzzing sound followed. Everyone laughed as the brunette took her strike with ease. Mira smiled as Cana took her stool and picked up her current bottle of booze, taking a long swig.

"I still have two strikes so I'm not worried. I'll just be more careful now." She said and earned herself some encouraging cheers. It came full circle as Lucy stood up for the next round and came up next to Mira. At the same time Juvia got off of Gray's lap and resumed her previous position.

"Umm...Truth." She said and waited with held breath as the name was picked. She hoped that it was someone who wouldn't think to ask that question.

"Gray." Lucy started to sigh in relief when she caught sight of Gray's grin. He wouldn't!

"Is there someone that you like as more than a friend in the guild?" He asked. It wasn't the exact question she was worried about, but it had been close enough.

"Yes." She blushed brightly and forced herself not to turn around to see Natsu's reaction.

"Who?" Gray asked and a buzzing sound went off. He jumped and cursed when he noticed a 'X' pop up above his head.

"What the hell?"

"Sorry Gray. One question per person." Freed cleared up and Gray growled at the slip that had earned him a strike for 'trying to break the rules'. Lucy was happy for the distraction that allowed her to slink back to her seat unnoticed. She didn't meet Natsu's questioning gaze as he stared down at her.

"Natsu?" Mira prompted and the fire mage jumped up and walked up to her.

"Dare." He said and Mira rolled her eyes.

"Why do I bother?" She muttered and chuckled as she read off the next name.

"Juvia." Mira said and they turned to the woman who gave the man next to her a bright smile and whispered so only he could hear.

"Juvia will avenge my darling for the strike he got." She said and he raised a brow as she smirked at the dragon, then to the blonde.

 _'And Juvia shall ensure that Gray-sama doesn't look at love-rival again.'_

"Uh...Juvia. Your challenge?" Mira asked as everyone was waiting patiently. Juvia jumped out of her thoughts, but the smirk remained in place.

"Juvia dares Natsu-san to kiss Lucy-san passionately!" She said and Lucy squeaked, her hands flying up to cover her mouth as her face exploded in flames. The guild immediately erupted in whistles and catcalls as Natsu turned to stare at Lucy. The blonde met his eyes as her own widened. She shook her head to silently convey to him her wish for him to pass. But he grinned and walked back to her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her out of her chair.

She started to protest,

"Natsu! Natsu do-hmmfmm!" His lips had latched onto hers, silencing what she had been about to say. The guild grew so loud it could probably be heard along the borders on the opposite side of town.

But for the two embracing onstage, it went dead silent. Lucy had let her eyes drift shut as Natsu's warm lips continued to play across hers. His arms were wrapped around her waist holding her flush against him. She never would have guessed what a good kisser Natsu turned out to be. He was both coaxing and demanding in the way he tasted all of her.

When had his tongue broke past her defenses? She didn't know, but also didn't care! The kiss grew aggressive quickly as Lucy began to respond and Natsu growled as he sucked and nipped at her lips. Lucy felt like she was on fire as he drove her crazy.

"Should we just count you two out or-" Mira's voice finally broke through to them and the two pulled apart panting with wide eyes. Their guild mates calling out suggestions for them that had Lucy blushing brighter as she stomped back to her seat, avoiding Natsu's gaze once more.

"Whoo...I think I need to open a window! But I couldn't be happier!" Mira gushed and Lucy groaned as she ducked her head and Natsu chuckled, scratching the back of his neck.

"Guess I went overboard." He muttered for her to hear as Juvia went up for her next turn. She got dared by Reetus to stand perfectly still in a difficult pose while he painted. It required a lot of focus on her part, but not the others.

"You think you moron! Why...Why did you accept the dare!?" Lucy hissed back, glaring over to him. Even more annoyed when he shrugged nonchalantly as if it didn't matter.

"I wanna win." He simply said and Lucy felt like murdering him...Okay maybe just severely injuring because if she killed him there was no chance of a repeat of the earth-scorching kiss.

"You really are an idiot." She hissed while turning away from him in a huff. He glanced at her and leaned close to her ear so only she would hear.

"It wasn't _just_ because of the dare Luce...I wanted to do that the minute I saw you dressed like _that_." He growled and she turned her wide eyes to him in surprise, a blush spreading across her cheeks. He grinned and leaned in closer, their lips barely brushing as he hissed,

"Not to mention, it _did_ get me pretty fired up for-" A buzzing noise swiftly followed by a second, interrupting him as he jumped away from her.

"Ah shit." He groaned and slapped his hand over his face as the 'X' appeared above his head. Poor Juvia was being helped up and also had a new strike as she had toppled over when the first buzz startled her.

"Wow sis. Two bird with one stone. That's my baby sister." Mira laughed and Lisanna held up a victory sign as people laughed. Even Lucy joined in at the annoyed look on his face.

"So right now we have Lucy, Levy and Lisanna tied for the lead with no strikes and everyone else behind with one strike each. Things may get interesting now." Mira said as Gray came up.

"Truth." He grumbled and his chosen tormentor was Laki. She giggled and asked what he had feared.

"Do you secretly like the attention Juvia gives you?"

"Hell no!" He automatically denied, forgetting about the wristband. It glowed red and the buzzer swiftly followed, earning him his second strike. He cursed again, noticing how Juvia's eyes had doubled in size and were sparkling. Everyone laughed as Gray slammed down onto his stool with bright cheeks.

"Hmm~This is turning out better than I planned. Okay Levy Truth or Dare?" Mira asked and Levy answered with truth once more. Deciding that it wasn't worth the risk to switch yet.

"Uh oh...Jet." Mira tried to hold in her laugh and Levy was so happy she hadn't chosen dare. Knowing them they would dare her to marry them. Everyone was thinking the same thing as they chuckled and waited for the man to get over his excitement and good luck at actually getting Levy.

"Would you ever go out with me?" He called and Levy groaned as she lowered her head with a sigh.

"Oh course not you moron! Levy's going to date me!" Droy cut in and Levy started shaking her head as the two continued to argue.

" **Hey**!" She shouted getting both their attention as they turned to look back at her. Levy took a deep breath and gave them her most sympathetic smile.

"You two know how much I love you-BUT!" She added as they began to grow excited.

"It's the same way I feel about everyone in the guild. I just...I just don't think of you two in the romantic sense." She said and hated to see them deflate. She turned back to her seat and sighed. She felt a nudge in her side and looked over to Gajeel. He smirked at her and whispered,

"They'll get over it. It's better that you told them the truth now and didn't let them keep hoping."

"But knowing them they'll start up all over again." She grumbled and he laughed as he stood up to redeem himself.

"Dare." He said again and Mira nodded, pulling out the slip of paper.

"Lucy."

"Oi! This is rigged! How come I keep getting the blasted females up here?" Gajeel grumbled and Lucy and Levy shouted indignantly.

"Okay mister. Just for that comment I'm not holding any punches! Kiss the girl you like!" She shouted and Gajeel, who wasn't prone to blushing, turned bright red.

"W-What!?"

"It pretty understandable Gajeel. Pick the girl you like and kiss her. Oh and I should warn you that if you try to lie about the girl, Freed's runes will know and penalize you." Mira said with a smirk and Gajeel swallowed. He looked up at the 'X' above him and knew that if he refused this one and earned two strikes in a row whimping out, he would never hear the end of it from the Salamander.

"Fine." He growled and swung around, stalking towards Levy who was as red as Erza's hair.

"No wait Gaj-" She stopped breathing as he lightly pecked her lips with his. The kiss was brief and over before she could fully respond, but her heart was racing all the same. Because this meant she was the only one he liked. There was no buzzer sounding so his feelings were genuine and it made her extremely happy.

"Hmm...Not much of a kiss. Natsu's was definitely better." Mira said and Gajeel growled, but didn't take the bait. Mira sighed and shrugged.

"Oh well. Guess we know who's the better boyfriend here."

"Hey!"

"Now moving along. Erza?"

"Truth." She said, still shaken from the disaster performance she had to endure before.

"Let's see...Freed." Mira said glancing at the man to her right. He thought about it then asked,

"Have you ever kissed anyone?" It was innocent enough, but Erza's face exploded in color and she hesitated.

"Um...well I...I mean I almost...Pass!" She shouted and a buzzing went off. Lucy leaned over to Natsu and whispered,

"What do you think that was all about? I didn't think it was that bad."

"Who cares. It means that now both Erza and Gray are almost out of the game." He said with so much glee it made her roll her eyes. The game continued with the contestants doing various dares and answering questions. By the fourth round Gray was the first to be eliminated when dared to kiss Juvia. He had refused and struck out. Juvia hadn't seemed surprised and promised him that she would win for him in the end as he left the stage. Lisanna earned her first strike when her own brother asked her who was the manliest in the guild. She had giggled saying Elfman, but then her wristband had glowed as a signal that she was lying. Cana earned a second strike when someone dared her to call Gildarts and tell him she was pregnant. She had said that the guild couldn't afford the damage bill he would cause on his way here. After that she claimed that she would only choose truths.

After seven rounds, people were starting to grow tired, but it was down to five. Lucy with two strikes, having earned one the previous round when refusing to let the boy of her choice give her a hickey. She would get Levy later for that (names were always replaced in the bowl and shuffled)...knowing the bluenette had purposely forced her to take the strike.

Natsu with two strikes. He had chosen truth for the first time, but hadn't expected someone to ask him what he thought of Lucy's hot body. He had not only refused to answer, but had threatened to beat the bastard who asked to a pulp. Lucy was strangely pleased to think that his reaction had been out of jealousy.

Juvia, who still only had one strike. She seemed extra determined to win just as she had proclaimed. Cana with two, but the brunette was going strong and they now knew things they probably shouldn't about the woman. And Lisanna who only had the first strike she had earned.

Gajeel and Levy had been taken out as people began to target the two. Asking questions that tried to force them to admit their feelings and dares that would make the two get more intimate. After too many refusals or lies they had both been eliminated. Erza had been doing well, until Cana dared her to change into her 'sexy costume'. No one knew what she meant, but the redhead had absolutely refused, glowing as Cana said that's cause she was saving it for when Jellal came back.

"Well. Since we're down to five now and most have two strikes, I think we're closing in on the end of this competition. So let's try to make these challenges harder everyone." She said and the crowd cheered. It was Lucy's turn once more and she decided it was time to play it safe and not chance any more dares like Levy's. Once an idea was planted in everyone's mind they would do everything to get what they wanted.

"Truth." She said and Mira nodded as she pulled out the name on the slip. Her eyes widened and she began to laugh.

"This is perfect, but I doubt he'll realize the opportunity...Natsu?" Mira said as she turned to stare back at the pinkette. Lucy's eyes widened and her heart skipped, but she had to agree with Mira that he wouldn't think to ask something embarrassing. She turned to meet Natsu's gaze and swallowed as he was studying her closely. His eyes narrowed and he asked the question everyone wanted to know, but hadn't asked.

"Who's that guy you like in the guild?" He asked and she felt her heart stop. There was no way she could answer. If she refused she would be out of the game and it would be the same as admitting the truth. But she **_couldn't_ ** just say that she was in love with Natsu while he was sitting there. So in a state of panic she shouted,

"Loki!"

"You called princess?" Loki said as he appeared next to her, unaware of the wide eyed looks they were getting. Lucy gasped and looked to Natsu. Her eyes widened as she had never seen him look like he did now. His lips were curled back into a snarl and his eyes held a feral rage that she had only ever seen a few times when she was in danger.

" _Bzzzzzzz_!" Everyone watched as Lucy ducked her head and her third strike appeared above her head. She had lied. She laughed it off and quickly fled the stage, sending Loki back confused.

"Ah~ So close. Oh well. Good job Lucy, you almost had it." Mira said and Lucy wasn't sure if she meant the game or admitting her feelings to the guy she was in love with? She sighed and as everyone's attention was focused on the stage and the procession of the game she snuck to retrieve her coat and left the guild.

* * *

Lucy stepped out of her bathroom drying her hair with a sigh. She had needed that hot soak more than she thought. She was looking forward to a deep sleep after everything she had endured tonight.

She screamed as something latched onto her wrists and she was pushed up against a wall. She was about to fight back when her eyes looked up and met the onyx orbs that belonged to Natsu.

" **What the hell you idiot**! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" She hissed and his eyes only narrowed. He stepped closer to her and she gasped as she felt his hips bump hers.

"It's only fair since you did the same thing to me earlier." He growled and she frowned in confusion.

"What? When did I-"

"When you called Loki's name and not mine." He growled before closing the gap between them and claiming her lips in another searing kiss. She gasped and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his tongue sweeping past her teeth and brushing along hers. She gave a soft moan as her eyes slid closed and she returned the kiss as she had done on the stage. Natsu groaned as pressed himself closer, so that the two were flush against each other.

His grip on her wrists loosened and slowly his fingers glided down her arms and grasped onto her hips. He growled and nipped her lip as he lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist and pressing her back against the wall.

Their bodies grew hot as they clung to each other and fought for dominance with their mouths. But as with everything, Natsu wouldn't give up easily and soon had her a mewling mess in his arms. He pulled back from her sweet lips and ran his tongue along her neck.

"I never want to hear you shout another guy's name Luce. If you're going to call out someone's name it had better be mine." He hissed as he sucked on the skin at the juncture of her neck. She threw her head to the side and moaned. She had imagined him behaving like this for so long, but had never thought she would actually get to.

"Natsu~" She groaned as he added his teeth to his administrations and growled in response. His hips grinding into hers and making her even hotter as he purred.

"Yes...Just like that Luce. Say my name like that again." He begged and she complied, hearing him growl deep in his chest before he swung them around and moved towards her bed. The two fell back against the mattress as he moved back to her lips. The two of them were a mess of hot lips, teeth and hands that couldn't stay in one place. Natsu was spreading hot kisses and love bites along her neck before trailing up to her ear and whispering huskily,

"I'm going to make sure you forget every other name but mine." Before latching onto her lips in a heady kiss. Lucy moaned and grinned through the kiss.

 ** _'This is going down as my new favorite holiday!'_**


	13. Quick Announcement

**Hello everyone! I have a couple of announcements to make. So for those that remember I said I would be writing something special for my anniversary, I'm afraid it's a no go. I tried, I really did but the inspiration fairy eludes me and I can't force the words to flow. I'm afraid that I really am done writing for MLP and I can't produce the sequels that everyone wanted so badly. I'll still be doing the Q &A if I can get the time to record. But the only writing I'll be doing is some super fluffy one shots-fairy tail though. I really CAN'T write for the MLP fandom anymore and I'm sad, but we all need to grow and follow the passion where it is. It just wasn't meant to last forever and I'm sorry because I know I'm disappointing a lot of people, but I can't force something that's not there and without any kind of spark my writing doesn't reflect the passion I want it to. We write because we enjoy it and if there's no joy it's obvious in the way our writing reads, so again I'm really sorry to disappoint those that were looking forward to the sequel to Love or Power but I won't be able to write it after all. **

**Second announcement is to hopefully entice some of you to go read my other work + future projects. I discovered a new site where people post. I believe it's hosted/created by the same people who own fanfiction. It's called fictionpresscomwhere people post stories just like on fanfiction but it's original work. My name is Atomicpuffin and I've posted Strawberry, plus I'll be posting newer stuff on there as well. But there are a lot of stories on there so I encourage anyone who's interested to go check it out!**


	14. new writing sched

Hello again. Just a quick update to let you all know what's going on. I'm kinda MIA right now because my hours at work have changed. See I use to go in from 3pm-11 so i would right while waiting and during my lunch. But now I work from 9am-5pm with only a 30min lunch. so I'm trying to find more time at home to write but thats...difficult. so I'm sorry that ill be awol for a bit. I'll try to get my newest project sorted and started. But I also have two new works I want to start outside of fanfiction, so i hope you will check those out on fictionpress/wattpad as well. Thanks for the support and hopefully i can recuperate and get my schedule organized so that i can get back into the groove of things. stay awesome my lovelies


	15. Your Daughter's Hand

**Hello my lovelies! Sorry to leave you for so long, but things have been crazy as I said in my last update. So, I wanted to let you all know I'll be MIA for a while longer. I'm not sure how long exactly, but I need a short break from fanfiction to focus on my other works. I will be back though as this is still great practice and a lot of fun. Plus I still want to write that Nalu with the video game so no worries about me disappearing forever, just for an extended vacation. During this break though I hope that you will check out my other work on the sites I've mentioned before. I am working on a new one that is another first for me. I'm trying different styles to see how broad my range in romance is. While 'Strawberry Lessons' is sweet and innocent, my new project is on the other end in the hot and sultry genre. 'One Delight Too Many' was one of those things that came out of nowhere, but as it formed, I decided I wanted to give it a try and see if I can write deeper into the adult theme. Now I know this is not everyone's cup of tea and this is definitely gonna be rated 'M' so if you decide to pass I understand. But I'd really appreciate it if you are interested, that you check it out on Wattpad or fictionpress and let me know what you think. Okay so no more babbling or plugging on my part. Here's a quick one-shot for you before I leave to satisfy that craving I may have left for too long with you lol. It's a random one though that was inspired by the song 'So Rude' so enjoy and as always stay awesome my lovelies!**

 ***All characters are owned by Hiro Mashima who finally put the Gajevy fans out of their misery with the new chapter! Fangirl screams~ thank you sempai!***

* * *

Natsu took another shaky breath as he fixed the collar of his dress shirt. He hated dressing up, but this was in order to win the girl of his dreams, so to hell with his pride. He lifted his fist and knocked on the large oak door, stepping back as he waited. He was there for a few minutes when the door swung open and a pink haired maid smiled out at him.

"Master Natsu, welcome."

"Hey Virgo." He said with a grin as he walked into the foyer and glanced around nervously. Virgo smiled sweetly at him as she spoke.

"Miss Lucy is upstairs in her room. I will go fetch her for-"

"No...Don't tell her I'm here... _Yet_." He interrupted and Virgo's eyes widened while she tilted her head and folded her hands over her skirt.

"May I ask why Master Natsu doesn't wish to see Miss Lucy?"

"It's not that...I'm actually here to see Mr. Heartfillia." He said, gritting his teeth as nerves gripped his heart. Virgo's eyes widened even further and she nodded before rushing off to announce Natsu. After a few minutes he was following the maid to the imposing man's office. He took a deep breath as he stepped into the large room with his back straight and his head held high.

"Mr. Dragneel." Jude Heartfillia greeted curtly without looking up from the documents scattered across his desk. Natsu walked forward until he was only a few feet away from the desk, his hands fisted at his side as he waited for the older man to look up. After a few silent and tense moments Jude finally raised his eyes to scrutinize him. As soon as their eyes met Natsu bent forward in a low bow, his eyes on the floor.

"Please sir, give me permission to marry your daughter." He said, tensing as he waited for the answer he wanted. Jude heaved a heavy sigh and Natsu heard papers beinbg thrown on the desk. He straightened up and met Jude's disapproving glare. He gritted his teeth tighter, having expected this response.

"As I told you the last time you bothered me with this fool's errand. My answer is no. You're a good kid Natsu, but not the man that my daughter should be spending her life with." Jude said and looked down at his work as if that ended the conversation. But this time Natsu wasn't going to give up. Last time he had been so shocked he had simply walked out of the office. Not this time.

"You're right." He hissed and Jude looked up shocked. Natsu glared right back as his fists shook.

"I'm not good enough for her...I know that. I'm abrasive, rash and hot tempered. I don't think before leaping into trouble..." His gaze sharpened then as he stood up straighter.

"But despite all that I am the only one who can care for Lucy the way she deserves. I love her more than anything and would do all I can to make her happy. Lucy means everything to me and despite what anyone else says I will protect her and love her with all that I have."

"Romantic poetry means nothing in the real world kid. You can spout this nonsense until you're blue, but it won't change my mind. The answer is **_no_**."

"I won't accept that answer. I **_will_** marry your daughter the minute she says yes."

"If you do I'll cut her out of my will. The two of you will have nothing of the Heartfillia fortune!" Jude shouted with a cold look that made Natsu's temper flare further. He practically snarled as he shouted back,

"It doesn't matter! We don't need your money anyways! Lucy isn't like you! She doesn't need all this fancy trash to make her happy!"

Jude snorted and crossed his arms, giving Natsu a condescending look that made the younger man growl.

"Are you telling me that you would still want to marry my daughter if she didn't come with that grand fortune?" He taunted and Natsu finally lost control of his short temper as he slammed his fists down on the desk and leaned in close to the man behind it, baring his teeth as he hissed lowly,

 ** _"You're damn right I would! Lucy isn't some tool or stepping stone to your money! She's a treasure all on her own and I would be honored to call her my wife!"_**

Jude stood suddenly, his hands also on his desk as the two entered a staring contest, glaring fiercely at the other without backing down. Then Jude's hard face slowly morphed into one of pure joy that had Natsu's falling in confusion. Jude grinned and stuck out his hand towards Natsu, who just stared between it and Jude's face unsure what to make of it.

"Then welcome to the family Natsu. I couldn't ask for a better son-in-law."

"Wait...What?" Natsu stuttered in confusion and Jude laughed again as he rounded the desk and clapped Natsu on the shoulder.

"Son, I've been waiting for _someone_ to say what you just did. I want my daughter to be happy with a partner that recognizes her for her inner worth and not just her name. I've threatened her last few boyfriends that wanted to marry her just as I did you. All of them tucked tail and backed down, showing that they weren't after my daughter's heart at all." He smiled then as he looked at Natsu with a kind expression.

"But I had a feeling about you the day my daughter introduced us. You seemed different and as usual my intuition proved correct. So I'll say it again. Welcome to the family boy!" He said slapping Natsu on the back. Natsu's eyes widened as it finally all sank in as he watched Jude walk back to his chair.

"So...So, you're giving me permission to ask your daughter to marry me?"

Jude raised a brow and smirked as he picked up a document and said,

"Didn't you just say that you don't need it? You just need her to say yes?"

Natsu blinked twice before breaking out in his signature grin. He spun on his heels and ran from the study shouting.

"Hell yeah! Lucy! Hey Luce, where are you!? I gotta talk to you!"

Jude chuckled, shaking his head as he glanced over at the photo on his desk of his late wife holding their lovely daughter in her lap.

"It's okay now darling...our Lucy will be well taken care of. With plenty of love in her life...Just as we always planned for her.


End file.
